Hear No Evil
by Jazelle1996
Summary: An adventurous story with lots of suspense, twists, love, cliffhangers and surprises. Lots of medical drama and plenty clinic patients for House to diagnosis. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**HEAR NO EVIL **

**CHAPTER ONE**

She sat on the couch in her living room, flipping through a magazine to try to keep her mind off surgery the next day. It was the toughest decision she'd ever made. But ever since her illness five years ago, she couldn't live that that anymore. All of her friends were either against her, or supported her. And those that were against her were no longer her friends. It was like that, unfortunately. There were so many mixed feelings and opinions about the surgery within the community. She was ready, or thought she was.

But she was 22 and she had the money her Grandmother left her. She threw the magazine on the coffee table and tried to sleep but she couldn't. She felt the vibration at her side and relunctantly stood up to take a shower. That would get her moving. But it didn't. As the lukewarm water fell on her face it felt like ice to her. She stepped out of the shower, dried off, dressed, and headed out the door to wait for the taxi to take her to PPTH.

As the cab parked at the entrance to the hospital she paid the driver and walked toward the entrance. She'd seen the man behind her with a cane in his right hand and several folders in his left but didn't pay any attention to him. She opened the door, walked through and into the lobby to the reception desk to ask where the ambulatory surgery building was. She thanked the woman and turned around to see the same man on his left knee picking up papers. He glanced up just as she walked through the door and they shared a look.

With his head down he said sarcastically to her, "Thank you so very much for keeping the door open for me." She kept on walking to the building next door. She thought about stopping to help him but she was already ten minutes late for her appointment before surgery.

"Geez, doesn't anybody have manners anymore?" The man grunted as he slowly stood up and limped into the building. He didn't want to be in this early anyway, but he had so many papers to fill out to renew his liscense in his office because he didn't get anything done at home. Mario kept calling his name, and the piano keys would play by themselves, so he just had to play them to keep them quiet. They were bored. He felt so guilty that he just _had_ to keep them busy. He walked to the elevator, used his cane to hit the 'up' button and waited.

"Dr. House? Did you have a fire in your apt? What are you doing here so early?" Dr. Chase asked as he looked at his watch. It read 6:28.

"No, but don't talk to me until I've had my coffee. Let's see. First cup at 6:40, I'd say talk to me at 7:00 tonight." He said as the elevator door opened.

"Well, how was it?" Dr. House asked.

"How was what?"

"You're hot little date with Cammie." Just then the elevator door opened and House took a few steps out, then turned around. "Your office is this way." He said as he cocked his head.

"I've got one more floor. I've got something to do." Chase answered as the elevator doors closed between them.

House limped to his office, unlocked the door and set the folders on his desk. He went into the diagnosis room to make a pot of coffee but found Cameron sitting in the dark with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee in the air. He poured his coffee as usual with a little emphasis on making as much noise as he could. He stopped to look at her as he passed by her chair. She was asleep with her head over on her shoulder, one hand in her lap, her arm on the desk and her feet propped up on another chair. He grinned a little then walked back into his office.

He sat down, first looking at Cameron. _'Wonder if she was with Chase again last night.' _He thought to himself.

He pulled the folder toward him, opened it, then closed it again. He grabbed his ball and through it in the air a few times. Then he turned his computer on, then put the headphones on and turned on the iPod, then he sat back in his chair to think. But about what? What could he think about? Like, for the next three hours? After a few minutes he sighed and reached for the folder. He pulled out a couple of pages and laid them out in front of him and grabbed his pen. He put the end of the pen in his mouth as he contemplated the questions. _'I need to hire someone to fill out these forms.' _He thought to himself. Then he began to write.

He hadn't noticed Cameron standing at the door staring at him. "What? Was I snoring?" She shook her head.

"Cameron, come sit down." He said, and she walked to the chair across his desk and sat down.

"How have you been doing?" He asked with a bit of concern in his voice.

"Fine." She answered, unconvincingly.

"No, you know what I mean. It's not every day I walk into my office and find a woman sleeping in my bed...er, office."

"I don't know how I'm doing."

"I need to know something." House said.

"What? Are concerned about me being a doper or being with Chase?" She snapped.

"Right to the point are we?"

"On which point?"

"Wait. Is my head spinning from you going around in circles?" He asked.

She sighed. "No, I don't have a problem with drugs, anymore."

"And?"

"And what? She asked.

"When are you and Chase getting married?"

"What business is it of yours? I don't ask about your hookers, do I? If I were you I wouldn't be too concerned about me when you have your own issues." She snapped as she stormed out of his office. _'I just love getting her all worked up.' _He thought to himself as he went back to filing out the paperwork.

A few hours later after Foreman, Chase and Cameron had been in the diagnosis room he was still working on the papers. But he'd also gone to the bathroom three times, had another two cups of coffee, and took a stroll around the floor. House looked up when the door opened and Wilson walked in.

"I heard a rumor, House." Wilson said jokingly.

"Really? Great? There hasn't been any rumors going around since Foreman kissed Cuddy."

"Oh, I didn't hear about that one."

"You didn't miss anything. She was showing her 'fun bags' again and Foreman just couldn't res..."

"House, I need your help with something."

"Good. What other rumor do you want to start?"

"I got a call from Dr. Johannsen about a patient." Wilson started to explain.

"Foreman kissed a patient? Wait, didn't Chase do that, too? I wanna kiss a patient, too!" House whined.

"It's a 22 year old female patient who was in for a cochlear implantation this morning. Dr. Johannsen said he found an anomaly in her ear canal."

"Anomaly? Isn't that what clownfish live in? I'll check with Chase on that one."

"She's been deaf since she was 17. She contracted mono and lost 92 hearing in her right ear, and 60 in her left. She refuses to wear hearing aids and the past five years have been difficult; it's affected her job performance and most recently she almost sideswiped an ambulance because she didn't hear the siren.

"Wilson, if she doesn't want to wear a hearing aid we can't make her."

"There's more. They've not found any nasal polyps, but she has had acute Rhinitis for years. She's been on every antibiotic and steroid possible."

"Did they check her for adenoids?"

"Yes. They were only slightly swollen."

"So, why didn't they complete the implant?

"Because as Dr. Johannsen made the incision he noticed there was no damage to the cochlear. He stopped the surgery."

"Any sign of cancer?"

"No, none at all."

"okay, you win. Leave her file." House said. Wilson handed House the file folder then walked out the door. As the door closed behind him, Wilson grinned sheepishly. _'He is getting soft in his old age.'_ He thought.

House grabbed the folder and flipped through the papers. Something was suspicious about her background, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He noticed she was in room #207. He grabbed his cane, the file, and limped out of the office to her room. He knew he should give the three muskateers an assignment, but honestly, he needed the break. As he pushed open the door and looked at the patient sitting up in bed, she looked familiar. _'Please don't tell me it was that girl that slammed the door in my face this morning.' _He thought to himself as he walked to her bed, then spread open the blinds to look out the window.

"I'm Dr. House. I've been referred to your case." There was silence. He turned around to look at her.

"Did you say something?" She asked.

"What? Are you deaf?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. But you'll need to look at me so I can read your lips. I picked that up real quick, especially the curse words." She grinned.

"Oh, just testing you to see if you really ARE deaf, or just a rude person by nature after slamming doors on cripples." He said as he waved his cane.

"Were you the man that was picking up papers outside the door this morning? I am sooo sorry! I didn't know anyone was behind me. I would have helped if I had known I did that."

"Uh, sure, Ms..." He opened the file. "Sherrill. Don't tell me your first name is Cheryl."

"No, it's Carol." She answered seriously.

"Really?"

"No, I just like telling people that. It's Barbara." She said as she laughed. House didn't.

Dr. Chase sat in the chair in the diagnosis room fiddling with some papers that he wasn't even reading. His mind was back at the meeting he'd had with Rog Nelson earlier that morning. Rog was the new intern in the hospital and Chase was able to convince him to draw blood and submit it confidentially for an HIV test.

_MONTHS BEFORE…THE MORNING AFTER_….Chase and Cameron just had sex.

Chase is lying in his own bed thinking about what happened the night before.

_'I knew I shouldn't have gone over there. I never had a clue she would take those amphetamines. What was she thinking? What was _I _thinking? She had the condom, but she bit my lip. The woman was crazed. I've never seen her like that before. And hopefully never see her like that again.'_

Back in the conference room, Chase looked over at Cameron but looked away just as their eyes met. They hadn't spoken a word to each other since they came to the room. It had been like that the past few months, ever since that night it had been awkward for the both of them. But not awkward for House. He kept mentioning the rumor (started by House himself) that Chase and Cameron had sex, but he never got any word out of either of them. _'It's okay,' _he thought. _'I've been busy trying to get Stacy fired.'  
_  
Cameron sat at the desk going through House's mail. She had been feeling terrible about what happened between her and Chase, but couldn't bring herself to talk to him about it. Thank God her HIV test was negative, for now. She'd have to get the test every three months for a year because the virus usually takes some time to show up in the blood. House walked into the conference room, walked over to the white board and began writing.

'DEAFNESS…ADENOIDS SLIGHTLY SWOLLEN' House pulled out a chair and stared at the board for several minutes.

"Uh, Dr. House, are we in on this case or do you have a memory problem?" Foreman asked, snickering.

"22 year-old female with deafness, no apparent cause. No damage to inner, middle or outer ear and her adenoids are only slightly swollen." Dr House answered.

"Did she ever have meningitis?" Cameron asked.

"No, but she had mono at 17 that resulted in her deafness." Dr. House answered.

"Encephalitis?" Chase asked.

"Negative, but ask her if she's been around horses lately. Check her again and also her Eustachian tube; inflammation there can spread to the middle ear." Dr House says.

"Well? I meant today! Cameron, can you stay a minute?" House asked as Chase and Foreman left the room. Cameron stood behind the chair but not making eye contact with him.

"Cameron, check her background. Her file doesn't add up. There's something there I'm not seeing or she's not telling us. I prefer the latter." Cameron nodded her head and walked out the door.

Cameron walked into Barbara's room. She was there before Chase and Foreman were to get her blood work and other tests he'd ordered.

"Bar—ba--ra. points to herself Doc-tore Cam—r-on…"

"Dr., you don't have to talk slowly. I can read lips fine. Just talk normally." She said as she set down the magazine she was reading.

"okay, I'm sorry. Drs. Chase and Foreman will be here shortly to run some tests Dr. House wants. And I just have a few questions for you, if you don't mind." She said as she pulled the chair up beside the bed and sat down.

"It says here you had mono at 17, and that's when you lost your hearing."

"Yes."

"Were any of your brothers or sisters deaf?

"No. I just had one sister."

"Had? Is she deceased?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, a year before Mom did."

"And what did your sister die from?"

"Achondroplasia, dwarfism. It affected her heart. She was only 15." Barbara said sadly.

"I see here your Mother passed away two years ago. What did she die from?"

"Kidney failure. But she did lose her hearing gradually before she died."

"okay…ah, here are the Doctors. They'll get some blood from you and check your Eustachian tube. It won't hurt at all. I'll be back to see you later, okay?" Cameron asked as she walked out of the door.

"okay, Ms. Sherrill. She was telling you the truth. It's just a little uncomfortable. Let's get Dr. Foreman to get some blood, first. That's the worst part." Chase said as Foreman walked to her side to get blood from her. Foreman noticed her left arm was bent backward a little bit.

"Did you ever break your arm?" He asked.

"No."

"Oh, okay. Looks like a break. okay, ready?" He said as he inserted the needle into her arm and drew blood. He put the vials on the tray and left the room.

"This thin tube right here I'll insert into your nostrils and it will send an image back to this box. Then Dr. House can review it for any inflammation." Chase said. She nodded her head as he slowly inserted the tube, which took about ten minutes.

"Dr. Chase, you got a girlfriend, wife, or significant other?" Barbara asked hopefully.

"I'm afraid so."

"Oh, okay. It doesn't hurt to ask."

"But I think Dr. House is available." He said sarcastically.

"Uh, no offense to Dr. House, but there's something about him I don't like." She answered.

"Oh, he harmless, really. But he knows what he's doing...most of the time." He said as he covered his mouth for the last four words.

"I'm sorry, what was that last part?" She asked.

"Oh, he knows what he's doing. He's a brilliant Dr." Chase lied as he walked out of the room.

After Chase dropped off the tube at the lab for analysis, he headed for the conference room. Cameron was sitting at the table, slumped in the chair with her head against the back, asleep. He quietly laid some papers on the table and pulled out a chair to sit in. Chase sat looking at her. _'She's beautiful asleep.' _He thought to himself. After a few minutes the door opened, and in limped Dr. House. He glanced at Cameron, then at Chase.

"Did the stud make Cammie tired today, Dr. Chase?" House snipped.

"Dr. House, would you just stop!" Chase said so loud that it woke Cameron up and she almost fell out of her chair.

"Hu...uh...wha..." Cameron muttered.

"Don't you remember, Cameron, Chase brought you in here this morning." He looked at Chase and winked. "Glad you took care of her, ole' boy." He said as he grabbed his coffee mug and walked into his office.

"Allison, we need to talk. I'm getting worried about you." Chase said as the door closed behind House.

"I'm fine, Chase, really."

"No, you're not. And I think after what we've been through you can call me by my first name." Chase said.

"I SAID I'm fine!" Cameron said as she stood up, then got dizzy, then ran into the bathroom off the conference room. Chase stood outside the door, listening to her vomit into the toilet. He immediately got a knot in the pit of his stomach. He walked back over to the table and sat down, waiting for Cameron to come back out.

"Allison, sit down." Chase told her.

"No, I have to go t..."

"No! You will sit down and we need to talk!" He ordered. Cameron sat in the chair in a huff and folded her arms across her chest, glaring at him.

"Allison," he said, "Are you pregnant?"

"Wha? Hell no!" She scoffed.

"Oh, come on! Either you're pregnant or it's those HIV resistant drugs you are taking that's making you sick. You shouldn't stil...wait, are you are doing those amphetamines again?" Chase asked as he leaned over the table to try to reach her hands. She quickly jerked them away.

"No! You know me better than that, Chase."

"I thought I knew you, but after the night we were together, I'm not so sure. If you are, you have got to get some help."

"House does it! And his Vicodin is worse than what I'm taking."

"And what _are_ you taking, then?" Chase asked. She sighed heavily and leaned against the back of the chair.

"I haven't been sleeping well the past few weeks. I guess the toll of the 'incident' finally just got to me. I've been taking Doral to get to sleep and at first it worked. Then I had to take more, but in the morning I was dragging. Then I started with speed, but now that I haven't taken either of them in a few days, my body is just drained."

"Cameron, you got to get yourself help before you kill yourself." Chase begged.

"I never saw you beg House to go get help! Why, huh? Wait, has he asked you to talk to me?" She asked.

"No, of course not. You're just being paranoid."

"I AM NOT!" She said as she stood up to walk to the door. "And if you tell House we've slept together, I'll make sure you never have children, understand?" She walked out of the room.

She had to go see Barbara, but she had to clean herself up. She walked into the bathroom and ran cold water over her face. She looked in the mirror and didn't like what she saw. She looked like she was a drugged out biker who'd been on the desert for miles. _'I need to stop this. I do NOT need help!' _She said as she dried off her face and headed to Barbara's room.

Chase sat in the conference room contemplating what his next move should be. But he knew. Just knew. He jumped when heard something hit the glass door to the conference room and turned around to see House standing at the door. He limped in and sat down across from Chase.

"Have a lover's spat?" House asked. "I heard you two arguing. Is she in trouble?"

"No. Well, yes. Can I talk to you off the record?" Chase asked.

"Sure, but I can't promise I won't start another rumor about her throwing up in the bathroom, you stud!" He snickered. The corner of Chase's eyes became smaller as he glared at House.

"Seriously. There's something wrong with Cameron and I'm afraid for her." House sat up in the chair and gave Chase all of his attention.

Dr. Cameron opened the door to Barbara's room and walked in. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine. When can I get out of here? I've got a hot date with a Dr. I met earlier." She joked. Cameron's eyebrows went up then she immediately relaxed them.

"How are YOU, Dr.?"

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen that look before, in my own mirror. Are you getting help?" Barbara asked.

"Help for what?"

"Oh, you are in the denial stage, I see. Yeah, that was the toughest for me." Cameron walked over to the window and stood facing the bed.

"What are you saying, Barbara?"

"Oh, the 'innocent' stage. I never went through that, but I've heard about it. It's not flattering on a Dr. "I think that Dr. Chase is worth kicking it."

"Wha...?"

"I saw the way you two looked at each other. And he said he has a girl. I just figured that was you." Cameron sighed and dropped her shoulders, almost in defeat.

"I've had problems in the past, yes. And I kicked it. But a couple of months ago, I took Ecstasy. Big mistake. I don't know why Dr. House didn't fi...I'm not here to talk about myself."

"Well, I'm only 22, Dr., but believe me, I've spent alot of time in psychotherapy. I don't mean to pry, I really don't. But I see the pain in your eyes, seen them in my own eyes. Like betrayal. You feel like you betrayed yourself? Your confidence is shot, and you make one mistake." Cameron nodded her head.

Barbara continued: "With me, it took the death of my mother to make me stop cocaine. It was the only way for me to get through the day. My 'big' mistake was letting the love of my life go. Don't give up on that hottie, Dr., if you don't mind me saying."

"Well, I'm here to make you better so you can go home and get on with your life, Barbara."

"Hey, is that Foreman available?" Barbara grinned.

"Uh, no. I don't think so." Cameron answered.

"But I thought hospitals were the perfect place to find a rich, available, good-looking Doc."

"Well, there's House, but you don't want him. He's grumpier than a bear being dragged out of its den."

"OH! I love bears!" She laughed.

"I'll be back later with the results of your tests, okay, Barbara?"

"okay, but here's my business card with my room number on it, in case, you know, you run into any available Drs." She teased. Cameron walked out of the room with a grin on her face.

Dr. House sat in his office with Steve munching on a piece of cheese. Steve stopped and got into his wheel and started running.

"What's my wittle Stevie Weavie doin', huh?" House said as he stuck his finger between the cage bars. "OW!" Wilson walks into the office.

"What's wrong with Cameron, House? She has been acting weird lately."

"Yeah, she's jealous because I had TWO hookers last night." He snickered.

"Did you get any of those forms done, homey?" Wilson asked looking at all the paperwork scattered on his desk.

"No. I'm talking to Cuddy later about getting me a secretary. I wonder if Anjelina is available." House hesitates. "Have you heard from Stacy? She hasn't been in in over a week."

"Her and Mark are having, er, problems, no thanks to you." Wilson answered.

"Yeah, well, I do what I can."

"House, you need to take it easy on Stacy."

"She never made it easy on me, has she?" House said as he looked at the door. Stacy walked in.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I need to talk to Greg, please, James."

"Of course." Wilson said as he walked out of the office.

"What do I owe the honor of your visit to my humble abode?" House said sarcastically.

"I wanted you to be the first to know that you've won."

"Oh! Great! You mean you'll sleep with me now?"

"Oh, stop being an idiot. I know it's difficult for you. But, you know what? I would have slept with you. You _were_ GOOD! But you looked at my file. I never thought you would even stoop that low. I wouldn't sleep with you now if you were the last man on earth."

"Oh, you'll change your mind. Many women have." House snipped.

"Greg, I've made arrangements at another company in Denver. Mark and I are leaving in two weeks." House stares at Stacy with a pouty expression on his face.

"okay."

"okay? That's all you have to say."

"Yes." Stacy left his office. House grabbed his GameBoy and started to play. Dr. Foreman walked into the room.

"Dr. House, when I was taking blood from Barbara Sherrill's arm I noticed it was bent back a little awkward. She said she never broke her arm."

"Maybe she lied." House answered. "Where's Cameron? She hasn't come back with her medical history."

"I think I saw Chase and Cameron go down to the lab." Foreman answered. House threw the GameBoy on his desk, reached for his cane. "Come on. Let's see if we can stop them from giving each other hickies. That is just sooo gross."

Drs. Wilson and House walked into the lab to find Chase at a microscope and Cameron with her laptop on the desk.

"Darn, we're too late, Foreman. I guess I'll have to sneak a peek at the hickies later." Foreman shook his head as he walked over to Cameron. "What have you found?"

"Ms. Sherrill's T-cells are fine, no encephalitis, meningitis..." Cameron answers taking the glasses off.

"And her Eustachian tube is clear." Chase said.

"What is her medical background, Cameron?" House asked.

"Her mother died two years ago of kidney failure, and her sister died at 15 of Achondroplasia with heart failure. Other than her upper respritory infections she's basically been healthy. Cameron answered.

"Is there any history of drug use?" House asked.

Cameron hesitated, "No."

"Did you ask her if she'd been around horses, Dr. Cameron?" House asked.

"Oh, no. I forgot."

"Oh, never mind. I'll do your job for you." House said as he walked out the door. Chase, Foreman and Cameron looked at each other in confusion.

House limped down the hall to the elevator when he ran into Rog, the new intern. Rog hit the 'up' button.

"So, I heard you had an early morning this morning." House asked Rog.

"Yes, sir." Rog answered, seeming very nervous.

"So, how did it go?"

"How did what go, Sir?" House loved it when he made an intern so nervous they 'Sir'd' him. "The meeting with Chase."

"Fine, Sir." He answered staring at the floor display.

"Chase said he was happy with the end result?" House egged Rog on.

"Oh, he got the results back already? I hope it wasn't HI..." House glared at Rog.

_'Ah, so it WAS an HIV test, and they DID have sex. Wow, ammo. I LUV it.' _House thought to himself. The elevator door opened on the lobby floor and Rog walked off. "Have a fabulous day, Rog!" House said sarcastically. Rog turned around to answer him but ran into the wall. He rubbed his forehead as the elevator door closed. House got a huge grin on his face. House walked off to talk to Barbara in her room but she wasn't there. Good. He didn't want to see her anyway. Just as he turned around to leave Barbara stepped out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Dr. House. I was wondering when I'd see you again. Did Dr. Cameron give you my business card with my number on it?" She asked as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"Pardon me?" House asked, thinking she had given Cameron the card for him.

"Never mind. When am I going to get out of here?"

"Are you gonna drink this?" House asked as he pointed to the unopened can of Pepsi.

"Not if you're going to charge me $200 for it. Help yourself."

"No, I'll send the charge to a Lisa Cuddy. She'll take care of the bill." He said as he grabbed the can, took out three Vicodin and swallowed them down.

"Dr. House, what's wrong with Dr. Cameron?"

"What do you mean?" He asked as he leaned against the wall.

"I don't think I should be talking with you about that." House looked at her confused, wanted to ask her about it but needed to ask some questions.

"Ms. Sherrill, have you been around horses, lately?"

"Yeah. My aunt has a farm in Pennsylvania. I spent a couple of weeks down with her."

"Ah, I see. Now, I understand your sister died of heart failure at a young age. Is there any other history of that in your family?"

"No, not that I can remember."

"May I see your arm, please?" House asked as he approached her bed. She extended her right arm, but House lowered it and raised her left arm. He looked at the inside of the elbow very closely, then verified that indeed her arm was slightly bent backward.

"Ms. Sherrill, are you right hand or left handed?"

"What difference does that make?" She asked.

"Right or left?" He asked impatiently.

"Right handed, why?"

"Because I noticed needle marks on your vein there." He pointed to the inside of her elbow.

"Oh, those. I did heroin." She said nonchalantly.

"When?"

"Right after Karen got really sick, my sister. I was 16." House looked at her seriously. "For how long?"

"Until after my mom died two years ago." House thought for a moment. "So, you did heroin for four years, correct?"

"Wow! You figured all that in your head? Hey, are single?" House stared at her dumbfounded and cleared his throat.

"Yeah. I'm not proud of it. Just proud that I kicked it. Why are you so concerned about that?"

"I'm not. You were 17 when you got mono, right? How soon after that did you lose your hearing?"

"That was during the time Karen was really sick. Mom was working two jobs, I was babysitting for three families and it was tough. I was doing heroin right before I got the mono. Mom was so stressed out, and when she was at work I'd take care of Karen."

"I see." Dr. House answered. "I'll send Dr. Foreman in to get some more blood. What did you mean when you were talking about Dr. Cameron?"

"We were just talking about any available Drs. here. But I do like Foreman. He has beautiful eyelashes. And your blue eyes! Wow! Bet you get alot of women with those eyes."

House looked down at the floor just as his beeper went off. He took it off his belt hook, looked at it and left the room. He walked down the hallway from the elevator to Cuddy's office; it was her that paged him.

"You rang?" House asked in his best Lurch voice as he walked into her office.

"You remember that patient a while ago? Sarah Lewis? She's back."

"Oh, I thought I'd cured her of her hallucinations. Don't you want to see her? She might have a message from your great-great grandfather." House said sarcastically.

"No, you see her again, House. She saw you first."

"Oh, so, are you saying I'm better than you are?"

"No, I'm just saying I don't want to get my $250 designer blouse dirty." Cuddy answered. "Now get going. She's in exam room 3." House left Cuddy's office and walked back to the elevator. He'd been thinking about the last time he met the psychic psycho:

_FLASHBACK TO THAT TIME_

"What's your problem today, uh, Ms. Lewis?" House asks as he looks at chart.

"It says it right there on my chart." She says as House looks up with a 'you smart-a$$' look.

"Yeah, I can read. How long has your ear been bothering you?"

"The past two months. I've been on Prednisone, 3 different antibiotics, had CT Scan and I'm still having monster headaches, dizziness and my right ear has been really bad. I've missed one to two days a week since then, and it's still not getting any better."

"Stand up." House walks toward the woman.

"Close your eyes and stand as still as you can." She does so. House grabs his GameBoy out of his pocket, sits down and starts playing.

"What are you doing?" She asks after a few moments.

"Waiting for you to fall on your face."

"Dr...House...are you PMSing today?" House sighs and stands up.

"okay, okay. Do it again." She does so again, slightly rocking to and fro.

"okay, open your eyes. Have you had any damage to the area behind your ear?"

"Yes, a car accident in '92. But I've never had problems with my ear; it was the sciatic nerve. I did physical therapy."

"I want you to get an MRI." House writes something on a piece of paper.

"Take this to the basement; have them bring me the results back. In the meantime..." House takes out a bottle, pops the lid and hands the woman three tablets.

"These will make you feel all better! Take one before you go to bed tonight then when needed afterward. No alcohol, tho. You amateurs can't handle the mix." She takes the pills from his hand and he starts to walk away.

"Dr., don't think I'm a nut case, but who's Liz, or Lizzie?" House stops dead in his tracks and reaches the door handle without answering.

_FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT_

It really unnerved House about her, and about LizBeth. He shrugged the whole thing off as he proceeded to exam room 3. He opened the door to see her lying on the exam table. She turned as he walked into the room.

"Hi, Dr. House." Sarah Lewis said.

"Hi. What brings you back to see me? How are those voices of yours? Are you answering them back, yet?" House said sarcastically as he opened the file with her medical background.

"You're very funny, Dr. You remind me of my brother. He is an arrogant, pompous jerk, too." She laughed then grabbed her stomach. "My regular OB/GYN is out of town and I've been having alot of pain, cramps, and I'm passing clots."

"How big are they? Are you bleeding excessively?"

"About the size of a grape. Every time I stand up I pass one, then the pain immediately goes away. It happened four times yesterday. The pain was so bad I didn't go to work. Yes, the flow is heavy."

"Can you tell me your prior menstrual cycles?"

"They were pretty irregular, forever. The longest I've gone is a year. I've been diagnosed with PCO, polycystic ovaries, especially my right one. Then, three years ago I was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia..."

"A precancerous cervix. What procedures have been done?" House interrupted.

"Yes. One of my PAP smears showed moderate to severe dysplasia. I had inpatient surgery for a cone biopsy and the Dr. discovered my uterus was also showing abnormal cells, so she did a DNC. Then, every three months for a year I'd have the LEEP procedure, three months later, a PAP smear. And they always showed up the same, or when the cervix was fine, my uterus wasn't. Finally when she put me on Provera my periods were regular, but then I passed clots the other night."

"She test you for the Human papillomavirus?"

"HPV? Yes. The type of strain I have doesn't cause cervical malignant cancer but is a result of the HPV. Finally, after she did cryosurgery, I had the required PAP smears that were normal. I've been fine the past year until the clots."

"Sounds like you did your homework." House commented.

"Yeah, I'm a Google freak. I'm just worried that maybe some ovarian cysts burst, and that's why I'm passing clots."

"Very good. I'll give you a prescription for Motrin 600 for the pain, and you need to get an ultrasound of your ovaries done. If that doesn't show anything, we'll do another cone biopsy. The HPV may have come back." House said as he wrote on his pad. He handed the paper to Sarah.

"I'll get Dr. Wilson in if need be." House said as he started for the door.

"Is Dr. Wilson an oncologist?" Sarah asked almost excitedly.

House noticed it and turned around. "Yes, he is." House left the exam room. Sarah sat on the exam table with a smile on her face.

House walked into his office and plopped in his chair, taking the bottle of Vicodin out of his pocket and downed a couple. It had been a long two hours of work for him; he couldn't take another patient. Cuddy walked into his office and stood at his desk.

"You're not going to sit down? Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" House snipped.

"That depends. I was wondering what you are doing on Thursday? I know you avoid your parents so I didn't think you'd be going to see them."

House's eyebrows rose with interest. "Are you asking me out on a date in two days?"

"No. I'm asking you if you'd like to come over for Thanksgiving dinner. I'm in the mood to cook but don't want to cook for just me. What do you say?"

"Are you making a ham or turkey?" House asked.

"Turkey." She answered.

"With turkey stuffing or cornbread stuffing?"

"Cornbread stuffing."

"Are you having sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes?"

"Would you like the whole menu? okay, I'm doing a turkey with cornbread stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, potato salad, cranberry slices and rolls." She said exasperatingly.

"Ew, I don't like cranberry slices. Can we have corn instead?"

"Sure. I think I have a can of corn." She said.

"No, I don't like canned corn. Can you do frozen corn?" House asked.

"Wait a minute! I only asked if you wanted to join me, not build a whole menu on what you do or do not like."

"okay. One more question." House said.

"WHAT?" Cuddy snapped.

"What's for dessert?" House said with a grin.

"Bring whatever you want to bring! I don't care. Be there at 4, okay?" She said and left the office.

_'Man, I need to find another profession. Like, Master of "How to Tick People Off 101. I'm GOOD at this!' _House laughed to himself.

Just then Cameron walked into the conference room, sat at the table and went through the papers in a file. House just stared at her. She still wasn't acting right to him. He was starting to get just more than concerned, which was rare of him and he knew it. But after what 'that deaf girl' said, he had to find out. He grabbed his coffee mug and walked into the conference room. Just as House entered the conference room Dr. Cuddy opened the door.

"May I see you outside, Dr. House?" She asked.

"I didn't do it! The patient said I could!" He said as he rolled his eyes at Cameron before walking out into the hall.

"There's just been a memo sent out that all employees must take a required drug test tomorrow." She said.

"Wow. Guess I'm fired, huh?" He said with a smirk.

"No. But I wanted to give you a heads up." She said. House nodded his head and walked back into the conference room.

"Barbara Sherrill said she had been around horses on her Aunt's farm over the summer." Cameron said as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. "And Chase confirmed she didn't have nasal polyps."

"okay. Get an equine encephalitis test, wait, I didn't ask for Chase to check for nasal polyps. What a moron. I asked for her Eustachian tube be checked. Would you take care of that?" House said as he sat down across from her.

"The chances of a horse passing on encephalitis to a human is rare." Cameron stated as she nodded her head to his question.

"Yeah, and so is a certain Dr. of mine taking amphetamines." House responded. She just looked at him blankly. "Oh, I know all about that." House said.

"Chase has got a big mouth."

"Not really, it was just a theory, until now." House said with a satisfying grin. "What's going on, Allison?" Cameron slumped in her chair. "I've been, uh, stressed out lately."

"Why haven't you come to me?" House asked.

"Why do you care? You're not the most comforting person to come to for emotional support."

"How long before your last check?"

"Six months...two more to go."

"I want you to take tomorrow off. Have a nice five day weekend. I'm sure you want to be with your family. But you and I have some talking to do next week. I wanna be the only drug addict in Diagnostics." House said with a wink.

"I can't take off tomorrow. There's Barbara's tests to do and some pa..."

"Cameron, don't argue with me. It'll be covered. Mabye Rog can handle that. He's a newbie. He can pick up the slack from you pros." House said.

"I'll see. I have to go check Barbara's ears." She said as she walked out of the room.

Dr. Cameron walked into Barbara Sherrill's room in the early afternoon to find her lying in bed with the covers up to her shoulders.

"How are you feeling, Barbara?

"I think I'm coming down with something. I've got a cough now and have a sore throat. Think I have a fever, too." She answered.

"Well, your face does look flushed. Let's get your temp." Cameron said as she went to a cabinet and pulled out a thermometer.

"I'm going to need one more blood test and check your Eustachian tube. I'll only be a minute, okay?" Cameron said as she walked to her bed. Cameron put the thermometer in Barbara's mouth and checked her pulse from her wrist. After a few moments the thermometer beeped, Cameron took it out and looked at it, frowning.

"Barbara, do you have a headache?" Barbara's eyes rolled in the back of her head and her body shook with a seizure. She grabbed her, turned her on her side and screamed for help. Several nurses ran into the room as they tied her down and Cameron administered Adavan. Her seizure slowly died down. She took blood from her vein, checked her ears and her pulse.

"Keep a close eye on her, will you, please?" She said to one of the nurses as she left the room.

Cameron personally dropped the blood off at the lab and asked for the results as soon as possible. The tech mumbled something about going out of town and the tech that comes in in the morning will do the test. Cameron walked back up to Dr. House's office to give him the update on Barbara when he saw House loudly reprimanding Chase over the nasal polyps he checked instead of the Eustachian tube. Chase's back was to the door, and when House saw her he waved her in.

"Barbara has just had a seizure.." Cameron said as she relayed the news to Dr. House. She hesitated before she said the tubes were clear.

"You may leave, Chase." House said angrily as he glared at him. Cameron followed him out the door.

"okay, I've had enough. I'm going home. Gotta get ready for my BIG date on Thursday." House said out loud as he turned the computer off, grabbed his bike helmet and headed out the door.

Later that night, House sat in his recliner in his apartment, ate a t.v. dinner and watched a movie. He'd been meaning to watch this GREAT movie called Maybe Baby with British actor Hugh Laurie that he'd heard was really funny. While he was watching the movie and done eating he reached in his pocket for some 'goodnight pills' and found the bottle empty. He cursed and stood up to go to the dining room table where he'd left the newly filled prescription. As he passed his bookshelf he glanced at a photo album. He went to the table, popped a couple of pills, walked back to his recliner but stopped to grab the album.

He sat down and thumbed through the book. He got to a picture of a man and woman standing next to each other, arm in arm with huge smiles on their faces. The man was in his late 20's with a full head of hair, and the woman looked the same age. He grinned as he recalled when the picture was taken.

_HOUSE'S MEMORY:_

Greg House and Lisa Cuddy went on vacation together to Lancaster, PA the summer they interned at Princeton Medical College together. They were standing in front of an Amish buggy they'd passed after they ate at Good and Plenty Restaurant. Lisa bought an Amish-made quilt for an outrageous amount of money, but she liked it. It was one of the best vacations he'd had.

There was a knock on House's door. He grunted and stood up, went to the door and opened it. Cameron stood there looking exhausted.

"I was just on my way home from the hospital and wanted to drop by to tell you Bar..."

"Can this wait til tomorrow, 'cuz I'm expecting my hooker any minute." House asked.

"The Equine Encephalitis test did come back positive, and she's in a coma now." Cameron said as she tried to peek into House's apt. House noticed and opened the door wide to let her pass.

"Oh, you're watching Maybe Baby? That is such a goood movie!" She said as she walked to the couch beside the recliner. She noticed the album was open to the pic of the two.

"Wow, you've got hair!" She teased. "Who's the woman?" She asked, then realized it was Cuddy.

"Oh." She said rather disappointed. Just then the phone rang.

"Hello? Yeah, hi, baby..." a moment of silence. "You'll be over in five minutes? Great, see you then. I've got the condoms." He said as he hung up the phone.

"That was Bambi. She'll be ov..."

"I know, I heard." She said as she walked back to the door. "See you tomorrow, Dr. House."

"No, I told you to take a day off. Really, we can cover everything. Besides, I have to keep Chase and Foreman busy, don't I?" He said with a wink.

Cameron didn't say anything else as she walked out the door. House closed it behind her, headed to the window to watch Cameron make it to her car safely, then headed for the phone to call Wilson back. He had no clue what House was talking about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Please let me know if you like this story, as there are 20 completed chapters and I will only post if someone reads them. :o)**

**I hope you like it...here's some more**

**CHAPTER TWO**

The next morning, the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, House walked into the clinic around 1p.m. Cuddy saw him walk in and went to meet him at the lobby reception desk.

"Sarah Lewis has been asking for you, again. Though I can't understand why. Can you please go see her in room 1216?" Cuddy asked.

"Oh, do I HAVE to? There are 28 patients I have to see in my two hours of clinic duty. Hey, what are YOU doing? Can't you go see her?"

"No, I have to go home and pack for the Dallas conference on Friday." Cuddy answered.

"Does that mean our date tomorrow night has been cancelled?" House asked sounding disappointed.

"No, no. It's fine. I'm still expecting you. Don't forget dessert." Cuddy said as she turned to walk away.

_'Oh, I'll have dessert for you, don't you worry.' _House thought to himself. He walked to the elevator just as Cameron came down the stairs.

"Dr. House, Barbara Sherrill died early this morning." House nodded his head and got on the elevator.

"Is that all you have to say?"

"No. Buy her some flowers for her grave." He said just as the door closed.

House walked toward Sarah's room and noticed Wilson in with her. He was doing the ultrasound over her lower abdomen. He stood at the window watching them for a couple of minutes. They were smiling and laughing like they had been buddies for years. She even put her hand on his arm in a fit of laughter. He'd seen enough. He walked into the room.

"Wow, what's so funny? I heard this REALLY funny joke about a donkey and a nun." House said. Both Wilson and Sarah looked at him with strange expressions.

"What did you need me for, Ms. Lewis? I see you are in good hands here." House said, giving Wilson a 'you dawg you' grin.

"I just wanted to tell you LizBeth said don't forget the cranberries." Sarah told House.

"Oh, not THIS again. Wilson, have you done an MRI on any possible brain deterioration?" House joked it off.

"Actually, we were laughing about YOU." Wilson said to shut him up. House cleared his throat.

"So, how does the ultrasound look, James?" Sarah asked.

"James? You're on a first name basis with your patients, now?" House snottily asked.

"Actually, we've known each other for about ten years." Sarah said.

"Oh, really? Wilson, you and I need to have a little chat later." House said.

"Would you just tell me what you see, James?" Sarah asked impatiently.

"Sorry. It looks fine. I do see multiple cysts on your right ovary, like you said, but nothing extraordinarily big."

"Well, do you two need me anymore? Or can I stay and watch?" House asked.

"No, you can leave." Wilson answered.

"And don't forget the cranberries, Dr. House." Sarah hollered as he walked toward the door. House stopped and turned around.

"Would you knock it off! I told you I don't believe in that crap." House snapped.

"She said you'd say that." Sarah said with a little laugh.

"It's okay. Alot of people don't believe this or that. But you can't deny it, can you Dr.? By the way, what's up with the cranberries? She's driving me NUTS!" Sarah challenged.

House sighed, walked toward the door and just before he walked out, he said, "I don't like them."

Dr. Wilson stayed with Sarah Lewis for almost an hour, rehashing old times.

"So, Sarah, what have you been doing with yourself since we las...er, saw each?"

"I'm still writing the editorials for the Princeton Tribune. But I think I want a change."

"What are you planning on getting into?" Wilson asked.

"I don't know. I'm kinda stuck on what to write about. I was thinking of checking out a couple of music companies to see if they are hiring admin assistants."

"Yeah, I remember you love music. How's Daniel doing?"

"I have no clue. A couple weeks after you and I were together I told him about us. He flew off the handle. We were divorced a month later."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, and to be the cause of it."

"Please, James! The thing is, he didn't know I knew he was seeing another woman. It was for the best."

"Maybe." Wilson said.

"What about Julie? How's she?"

"Well, things aren't so good right now. We've had a few ups and downs. Right now it's a humungus down. She won't talk to me anymore. She doesn't like that I'm here all the time. But that's what she wanted: to be married to a Dr. She just didn't want to marry me."

Sarah put her hand on Wilson's cheek. "James, you know I would have married you. But it just didn't happen."

Wilson looks at her affectionately. "And I would have married you, Sarah." He said as he leaned in and kissed her on the lips. After a few seconds she grabbed her stomach and moaned, turning her head away from him.

"Is the pain bad, punkin'?" Wilson asked worriedly.

"Yeah...punkin? Man, I haven't heard that in so long."

"I'll get you something for the pain. You're down for the cone biopsy in a few hours so it's okay if you take something now. Sarah?"

She turned to look at him. "Do you want to be my punkin?" He asked sheepishly.

House had gone back into his office. He was sooo close to killing the purple onion monsters and he was feeling extra confident. He sat playing the game for a few minutes when Cameron walked in.

"Dr. House, I thought you'd want to go over a few things on Barbara Sherrill's chart."

"And why would I want to do that?" He said nastily.

"You're smart, you went to medical school. See if you can figure it out." She snapped and walked out of his office. House watched her walk out the door. He liked watching her from behind. He went back to the game where he entered the haunted garden patch, but his mind kept going back to the file. He reluctantly picked it up and flipped it open.

_'okay, Dr. Cameron. What is it I'm looking for?' _House thought to himself as he looked at her past medical history.

'Dwarfism...Achondroplasia - Felicia Sherrill, death aged 15...Kidney failure - Mable Sherrill, death aged 41.'

"Hmmm. I wonder..." House said aloud as he picked up his cane and headed to the morgue, hoping they were still doing the postmartim autopsy. He hit the elevator button and waited. When it opened, Wilson was standing there. He gave Wilson a sly grin and walked in.

"So, buddy, friend, confidant, special-ist Dr. in the world, how are YOU?" He said. Wilson didn't answer because he knew where House was going, and he wasn't about to tell him. Not yet.

"okay, okay. I'm sorry. I just thought you'd want to tell me about Sarah because, well, you know, us men LUV to gossip about women."

"No, not really." Wilson answered.

"Yes, we do!"

"No, I meant about Sarah." He snapped. "Hey, do you want to go out for drinks tonight? Julie's parents and brothers are coming over for dinner tomorrow, and I need to be out of the kitchen when Julie cooks. I don't want to be home. Football isn't on 'til tomorrow."

"Uh, sure. I've got a hot date tomorrow night myself." House said.

"Oh, Bambi again?" Wilson laughed.

"No, someone we all know and love." House said as the door opened and he started to walk out of the elevator.

"Yeah, okay, fine." Wilson said. "I'll tell you about Sarah if you tell me about your date."

"You're on!" House said as the elevator door closed.

House walked down the hall to the morgue. He hated this place, but he liked how quiet it was. And his Lynard Skynard CD would sound great with those tiled walls. He opened the door and went into the mortician's office. Carl and Rog were sitting at a desk; Carl was on the computer and Rog was looking through a microscope.

"Hey Rog, buddy! How's it going?" House asked. Rog jumped and the chair scooted back a few inches.

"Good, Sir." Rog stuttered.

"Have you done the autopsy on Barbie Sherrill? House asked.

"That's Barbara, Dr. House." Carl corrected. "And, yes." House looked at him in disappointment.

"But I did the karyotype blood test, and she did have Turner Syndrome." Rog said as he knocked over the cup of pens by the keyboard. He bent over to pick them up off the floor.

"Who ordered that?" House asked in confusion.

"Dr. Cameron." Carl answered.

"And she was starting to go into kidney failure." Rog stuttered.

"Ah. Okay, thanks." House said with an air of smugness then walked out of the office.

_'So, she did have Turner. That only complicated the encephalitis. Cameron picked that up? Wow, I'm impressed. My little girl is doing _so_ well.'_ House thought to himself. _'Okay, where can I go now?' _He thought as his stomach growled. He headed for the cafeteria for an early dinner. He figured he'd fill up before he went drinking. He walked in and saw Wilson sitting at a table eating alone. He walked over to his table and sat down.

"Hey, Wilson. You have change for $20?" House asked. Wilson reached into his pocket without a word and handed House two $10.

"Great, thanks!" House said as he stood up and walked to the food line.

"HEY! Where's my $20?" Wilson hollered at him.

"I'll have to get change from the cashier. Be right back." House said with a playful grin.

_'How do I fall for that all the time? I'm such a wuss.' _Wilson said to himself as he laughed. House returned to Wilson's table a few minutes later and set down a tray with a roast beef sandwich, fries and chocolate milk.

"What's up with the roast beef, House?"

"I had a Reuben for lunch...and breakfast. I need a change." He answered.

"Have you done your drug test yet in Cuddy's office?" Wilson asked.

"No. I'll do it after I eat. The food will absorb the Vicodin and I'll be all clear." House playfully lied. "Has Cameron?"

"Has Cameron what?" Wilson asked biting into lettuce at the end of his fork.

"Has she had her blood work done?"

"Yeah, I saw her in there this morning. She's been nervous all day. Do you know what's wrong with her?"

"No." House lied, then took a bite from his roast beef sandwich. House had a full stomach and was ready to head back to his haunted vegetable garden...office. He reached for the door when he heard Cuddy holler his name. He tried to ignore her and opened the door, but Cuddy was right behind him keeping the door closed with her hand.

"Dr. House, you have to take the drug test. I'm sure you'll pass with flying colors."

"But I have a date with the purple onion monsters, Mom! I need to keep the oil and vinegar dressing away from them or they'll die! You know how I need to save people."

"Enough, House. Come on!" She said as she grabbed his left elbow and pulled him down the hallway.

"Ooh, I like it when you're rough. But can't you wait til we get to your office? There are too man..."

Ten minutes later, House sat in his office picking off the bandaid from the inside of his elbow. Cameron slowly walked into his office and sat down heavily in the chair.

"How'd it go, Cameron?"

"The blood test? Oh, fine."

"Cameron, I've been to the morgue. Good catch on that Turner Syndrome."

"Thanks. Thats why you pay me the big bucks. Now, can I have a raise?"

"Sure. Stand up and raise your skirt." House snickered.

"Out of respect, shut up!" Cameron yelled. House's eyebrows flew up.

"Cameron, I really am concerned about you, you know. I wanted you to stay home because I knew about the drug test. Why won't you talk to me?" House asked as he leaned across his desk.

"I can't." She replied solemnly.

"Okay, fine. But you know you can talk to me, right?"

"Yeah, I know." She answered, but didn't get up to leave. "House, I'm pregnant."

Later that night, House and Wilson sat in a bar with a pianoman playing solemn tunes and ate stuffed baked potato slices.

"So, Wilson, who's Sarah to you?" House said as he brought a potato to his mouth and put half the potato in.

"She was Sharon's friend from high school; she was wife number one. We went to Sharon's high school reunion and I liked Sarah from the moment I met her, with her husband. She made me feel good, like I was the funniest, smartest, best looking man in the world."

"I find that hard to believe." House said teasingly.

"We went out with Sarah and her husband for dinner a few times after that. And she and I just clicked. She could always make me laugh. So, one night when Julie was at her parents' house Sarah came over. And it just happened."

"What?" House said with a smirk.

"I will not go into details, but let's just say we grew close, and closer. I fell in love with her. We talked about marrying, but we were both married to other people. We agreed to cool off for a while, but we still got together for lunches occasionally. The last time we got together was three years ago." The waitress walked over to their table and asked if they wanted another drink.

"Yes, and make his a double." House said as he nodded his head at Wilson.

"So, what's up with that date of yours tomorrow?" Wilson asked.

"It's not a date. I'm just going to Cuddy's for dinner. She's lonely and needs my company."

"I wouldn't go that far, House. Do you think that's smart? You two have been able to work together well the past few years." Wilson said as he sipped his gin and soda.

"It'll be fine. She might jump my bones but I can control myself."

"Uh...no, you can't!" Wilson said and clicked his glass with House's.

"What did Sarah's biopsy show, Wilson?" House asked as he downed the last shot of scotch.

"It's cancer, stage 3. I'll need to check to see if it's spread further. But she'll need chemo and radiation. She has a long battle ahead of her."

"I'm sorry, really." House said tenderly.

"Yeah, well, she'll get the best care from me, that's for sure." Wilson said as he took the last of his drink.

"Are we talking medically here, or physically?" House said as he handed the bill from the waitress to Wilson. Wilson pulled out the money, handed it to the waitress as he stood up and put on his jacket. House followed Wilson out the door.

"Man, it's snowing! I don't believe this!" House said.

"Feels like it's mixed with sleet. Isn't it about time you put that thing in storage?"

"Hell, no. She's my baby! How dare you call her a 'thing'!" House said seriously then a smile crossed his face. "Have a good day tomorrow, Wilson. Happy Thanksgiving." House said as he put on his helmet.

Wilson was just about to answer when he took a few steps to the left and walked smack in the light pole. He rubbed his forehead as he turned back around to say the same to House.

"Smart move, Ace!" House teased him, then asked concerned, "You need me to take you home?"

"No, thanks. I'm fine. Your driving scares me. Good night, and thanks." Wilson said as he walked down the street to his car. House watched him until he got behind the wheel then he revved up the bike and pulled into the street.

During that time House and Wilson were in the bar, Foreman was over at Chase's apt.

"So, Chase. Are you and Cameron an item now?" Foreman asked as he took a bite of the pizza they'd ordered.

"I wouldn't say that. Having sex one time doesn't constitute a relationship."

"Well, I know you like her. But you know she still has that thing for House. Do you notice how she opens the door for him and puts the stirrer in his coffee and stuff? It's kinda nauseating." Foreman asked.

"Yeah, I notice it. And yeah, I do like her. But I don't think it's a good idea if I pursue a relationship with her while we work together." Chase answered.

"You can always go work at another hospital."

"And miss the opportunity for House to chew me out when I do something wrong? Heck, no. I live for that." Chase said sarcastically and laughed.

"Oh, Lisa, I love you! Let me ravish you with my kisses and make sweet, passionate, 3-hour long love to you!" House begged.

"Greg, let me escort you to the bedroom, my Master of Love." She said as she reached for his hand. The phone rang.

"Ignore it, Lisa. I've got something for you that I've been wanting to give you for a lonnnnnnng time." The phone rang again.

"Ignore it, Lisaaaaaaaaaaaaaa..." The phone rang as loud as a tornado siren going off. House rolled over, yanked at the phone and brought it to his ear.

"Lisaaaaa...I said don..." House said into the phone.

"House? HOUSE! It's Cameron."

'Oh, great! A threesome.' He thought to himself. Then he slowly woke up and realized it was Cameron on the other end.

"Ughhh...are you out of your mind? I said if you needed to talk you could, but not at, uh..." House looked at the clock. "...3:30 in the morning." House said as he lay his head back down on the pillow.

"House, Wilson's in surgery. He's in bad shape." Cameron said then sniffed.

"Cameron, what are you talking about? I saw him last ni...wait, did he get in an accident? Damn, I knew I should have driven him home." House hung up the phone, jumped out of bed, grabbed his jeans and t-shirt and ran to the door. He was in the hospital in 15 minutes. He met Cameron and Cuddy in the hallway outside the emergency center. House walked up to Cuddy and hugged her. He noticed Cameron frowning as she stared at them. He broke the hug and went to Cameron. He noticed her eyes were swollen and red. He reached out his arms for her. She hesitated a moment, then fell into his arms.

"He'll be alright, Allison. He's a trooper." House said trying to comfort her. They walked to the surgical unit where they were met by Julie, who had on sweats, a big sweater and slippers." Foreman and Chase joined them shortly.

"Julie, what happened?" House asked as they approached and sat down in the chairs. Chase and Cameron sat down beside each other, where Chase held her at his side.

"He was sitting at a stop light when another car came barreling through the intersection. The driver skid in the sleet and smashed into James' car. He's lost alot of blood; he has three broken ribs, a punctured spleen, internal bleeding and concussion. It took them almost an hour to remove him from the car."

"How's he doing now?" Chase asked.

"A surgical assistant came out an hour or so ago and said they were having trouble controlling the bleeding and they had to remove his spleen." Cuddy answered for Julie, as she hung her head to the floor.

House reached out his hand and patted her on her shoulder. Dr. Slater walked through the surgical unit door and walked toward the group. He didn't have a smile on his face and he walked rather slowly. House looked at his watch; it read 6:45a.m. House and Julie stood up and approached the Dr.

"How is he, Slater?" House asked. Cuddy and Foreman also stood up, but the didn't approach them. Dr. Slater looked at each one in the group as if a look would reassure them that he would be okay.

"I'll need to speak to Mrs. Wilson alone, please."

"No, no. It's okay. They're his friends. Please, how is he?" She pleaded.

"We've stopped the bleeding but it'll be touch and go for 24 hours. His stats are stable, which is a good sign. You can see him as soon as he is out of recovery, around lunchtime."

"Thank you, Dr. Slater." Julie said as Cuddy wrapped her arm around her and took her back to the chair.

"I have to go do something. I'll be right back." House said.

"Damnit, House! Playing your GameBoy now is real..." Foreman started.

"Calm down, Foreman. I have to see a patient." He said as he walked down the hall to the elevator. House slid the door open to Sarah's room and found her sitting in a chair staring out the window.

"Sar..." House started to say but Sarah interrupted him.

"He's gone, isn't he?" She asked, sniffling.

"I didn't think anyone tol..."

"They didn't. But I know what happened. He came to me." She said as she turned around to look at House. Tears were streaming down her face and she wiped them away, then sat on the bed. House just rolled his eyes.

"They lost him for a while. He came to tell me goodbye. I told him not to go b..." She broke into sobs again. House didn't quite know what to do. He walked toward the bed and put his hand on her shoulder. She pressed her forehead to his chest.

"No, Sarah. He's not gone. He just got out of surgery. He made it." House said, saying to himself, _'God, let him make it.' _Sarah lifted her head and looked into his eyes. They were brimming with tears.

"Can I see him, please?" She begged.

"Uh, no, Sarah. His wife is downstairs and he can't have any visitors until this afternoon." House said as a tear rolled down his cheek. He didn't wipe it away.

"Sharon? Sharon's downstairs? But he said they divorced." She sniffled.

"No, his new wife, Julie. I don't think it would be a good idea." Sarah nodded her head in agreement and threw herself back down on the bed. "Greg?" She asked.

"Yeah?"

"Do you believe in God?" House didn't answer.

"Because if you do, you better start doing alot of praying." She said and rolled over on her side away from House. House quietly walked out of the room and went to his office.

House hadn't planned on coming into work on Thanksgiving morning. He'd even bought the apple pie and ice cream for dessert, which he almost lost on the back of the bike on the way back home from the bar. But he was really looking forward to dinner at Cuddy's. He turned on the t.v., but it was just for the noise, not to watch. He thought to himself about what Sarah had said when she last saw him:

_'She knew about the purple flowers, and her calling me Gray, when LizBeth was the only one that called me that. And the bird's wings? That was just creepy. Wow, I'm starting to wonder now.'_ House unconsciously rubbed his right thigh. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the bottle. He looked at it for a minute, debating whether he could go without taking them. He popped two in his mouth because it was going to be a long Thanksgiving. Cuddy walked into House's office, turned off the t.v. and sat down in the chair across from him.

"I've sent the gang home for the day. They'll be back later this afternoon. I was thinking of bringing in the food I cooked for us, but I need someone to help me carry it all in. Would you mind? You do have one free arm." She teased as she looked at his leg.

"Not until I see him in the rec..."

"No, no, after that. That's fine." Cuddy interrupted. House nodded his head as Cuddy stood up. "He'll be okay, Greg." She said as she walked out the door.

House looked up to see Cameron, Foreman and Chase walk into the conference room. The men sat down and Cameron went to the coffee machine. He looked at his own mug; it was empty. He grabbed his cane and limped into the room and filled his mug with coffee.

"I thought Cuddy said you three could go home." House said as he sat down at the desk in the corner of the room.

"We couldn't, House. I'd rather be here in ca..." She stopped. He stared at her blankly. He knew what she meant, she didn't have to say it. They sat in the conference room in silence for the next couple of hours anxiously awaiting news about Wilson. Around 12:30 Cuddy came into the room.

"Guys, James woke up." She said with a smile on her face. Julie just left to get some sleep. You can see him now, but one at a time." Then she closed the door and went to her office.

House was the first to stand and head to the door, then Cameron, Foreman then Chase. House was limping so fast the three had trouble keeping up with him. He walked into Wilson's I.C.U. room and the three stood back waiting for their turn. He walked up to his bed and couldn't believe it was his best friend lying there. He had an oxygen tube in his nose, he was on a respirator (which made a click-swoosh sound as it helped him breath), his face was cut up but there were only a few areas that had a stitch or two in them.

"Buddy, hey, it's Greg. You'd better get your butt out of this bed before I kick you out." He teased, but tears had swelled up in his eyes again. It was hard for him to see Wilson like this; he never _had_ seen Wilson like this. He put his arms on the bedrail and just stared at him. After a few minutes Wilson moaned and tried to open his eyes.

"Wils...James. Hey, don't talk. You've got a tube down your throat to help you breath." House said.

Wilson fluttered his eyes open a few times before he focused on House's face. His chin went up a little bit as he tried to speak. House heard 'aira' and nodded his head because he understand it to be 'Sarah.'

"She knows. I went in and told her. Seems she already knew." Wilson frowned a little and closed his eyes.

"Get some sleep, buddy. We have that Monster Rally next week and you need to come with me. You're not getting out of it this time." House said.

He waited a few minutes longer to be sure he was resting comfortably. He walked out of the door and Cameron was alarmed at his expression. She was the next to go in, but only spent a few minutes. She came out with tears in her eyes and Chase held her as Foreman went in. Then Chase took his turn. When Chase came out from Wilson's room, they all walked back to the conference room without speaking a word. Even when Rog, the new intern, slipped on the wet tile floor and fell on his butt they didn't laugh. There was nothing to laugh at, nothing to joke about, nothing to talk about. There were no words that could fill the emptiness they felt about Wilson's condition. It was grave, very grave. An hour later, after staring at the wall, looking out the window, wearing a path into the carpet and sipping coffee, Cuddy walked into the conference room.

"Hey. They've taken James off the ventilator. His blood pressure is still too low but they've put him on intravaneous fluids with electrolytes. He's also become anemic due to the blood he lost." None of the doctors said anything after she spoke.

"House, are you ready? I'm sure you guys are famished. I've got plenty of food at home we're going to get." Cuddy said.

"We're really not very hungry, Dr. Cuddy, but thank you." Cameron told her.

Chase and Wilson looked at each other. "Uh, we are! Do you need any help?" Chase asked.

"No, Chase, we've got it covered. I'm now able to balance food trays on my head. Didn't you get the memo?" House said jokingly, or, rather, attempted to be funny.

"Hey, I was only as..."

"Thanks, it's fine, Chase. We've got it." Cuddy interrupted. Cuddy and House both walked to the door.

"Cameron, call me if anything happens, okay?" House asked. Cameron just nodded her head. House and Cuddy walked to the elevator, to the lobby, and walked to her Rav4.

"When did you get this?" House asked, looking over the exterior of the SVU.

"I traded my Kawaski 450 for the down payment." Cuddy said with a little smile as she unlocked the doors and they both got in. Cuddy started the engine and House turned on the radio.

_'If the skies above you should turn dark and full of clouds,_

_Keep your head together, and call my name out lo...'_

House quickly turned off the radio, and theyd drove to Cuddy's house in silence. Cuddy and House walked into the foyer and she put her keys and purse on the table by the door. She led him to the kitchen where she headed for the refrigerator. He looked over at the sink with the dishes filled to the brim.

"Sorry about the mess. I was still cooking when I got the call. I rushed over to the hospital when an attendant called me. I didn't call Cameron until a few hours later when I knew what his condition was." Cuddy said as she put bowl after bowl of food on the counter. House stood and watched her. He had noticed her eyes had gotten dark and she'd occassionally slur a word. She fumbled with a plastic bowl she took out, and just as she was about to place it on the counter the edge hit the corner, the lid popped open and corn scattered all over the floor. Cuddy cursed, grabbed a towel and began to wipe up the mess. He bent down to help, and heard Cuddy sniffle. He saw a tear fall to the floor over the corn. House reached for her hand that held the towel and stopped her.

"Cud...Lisa. It's just corn." House tried to joke it off to reassure her. Cuddy pulled back her bangs with her hand and sat on the floor heavily.

"I don't know why I am crying." She said as she wiped her cheek. "I'm just tired. I haven't had much sleep."

"He'll be fine. We're all worried about him." He said as she reached out for her shoulder. He wiped her cheek and pulled her close to him. She accepted his arms around her and he rocked her in his arms. The tears came, and he ran his hand through her hair while he whispered softly in her ear.

Cuddy lay in House's arms for a few minutes as she tried to control her tears. She remembered the time when her Father died and he'd comforted her. She never would have gotten through it if it hadn't been for House. She wiped her eyes and sat up, with House's arm still around her. They looked lovingly in each other's eyes.

"I'm sorry, House. You know I don't get this emo..."

Cuddy was cutoff mid sentence when House planted a kiss on her lips. At first she resisted, but his warm lips felt so good against hers. Her body melted into his as their arms went around each others.

"Hmmmph?" House asked.

"Hmmph?" Cuddy said as tore her lips away from his.

"I'd love to have you in the kitchen, but honestly, with all this corn on the floor, it'd be kinda messy."

"Huh? Wa...oh. You sure you want to? I mean, I'm okay with...wait! What am I saying? We have to get back, Greg!"

House gave her a look of disappointment as she stood up and straightened her skirt. She put out her hand to help House up, and with his weight coming toward her she lost her balance and ended up against the refrigerator door with Hugh pressed against her.

"I'll ask again," House said as he grabbed her hands and tried to lead her out of the kitchen to the stairs.

"No, you don't have to ask." She said as she grabbed his cane and took off up the stairs. He grinned wickedly, grabbed a Vicodin, popped it and limped up the stairs as fast as he could. He was met by Cuddy, who had slipped out of her skirt and blouse and stood there in her bra and garter...

Cuddy and House walked into the conference room with a cart full of covered bowls of food and a turkey wrapped in aluminum foil. Chase and Foreman immediately jumped out of their chairs toward the cart and helped put them on the table. Cameron looked at the clock on the desk. It read 4:05. She knew Cuddy only lived a few minutes away, and it looked like Cuddy's hair was straightened a bit; not curly like it was when she'd left. And House? He had a permanent grin on his face, which was rare for him, even under the current circumstances.

"How's Wilson, Cameron?" House asked her as he'd noticed she'd been staring at him.

"No change. And Julie is back." She answered as she went back to the computer.

"Did you ask her to come up to eat with us?" Cuddy asked.

"She said she couldn't eat. Wonder why?" She said nastily. Chase looked at Foreman, who just shrugged his shoulders. The gang put food on their plates and ate in silence. As they were almost finished Cuddy's pager went off. A second later House's pager went off.

"What is..." Cameron started to say. House headed straight to the door without answering.

"It's Wilson. He's gone into cardiac arrest." Cuddy answered as she followed behing House, who were quickly joined by Chase, Foreman and Cameron. They rushed down the hallway in I.C.U. where they saw nurses running in and out of Wilson's room.

"CLEAR!" They heard someone scream. House rushed into the room and stood at the door with an anxious expression on his face. The others stayed outside with Julie while the doctors and nurses tried to revive Wilson. The paddles were smeared with vasoline and the Doctor shocked Wilson's heart. No change in the flat line.

"More epi!" The Doctor ordered, then punctured the syringe directly into his heart. He began to pump his chest again, then ordered the paddles. He placed them to the right of his breast and to the left. "CLEAR!" He yelled, then shocked his heart again. No change in the flat line.

"Come on!" House said, not realizing how loud he really said it. Several nurses gave him a dirty look. After five more minutes of trying to revive Wilson, ten of which had already been spent, the Dr. stepped back.

"Time of..."

"NO! House screamed as he ran to Wilson, grabbed the paddles out of the nurses' hands. He went directly to Wilson heart, screamed "400!" to the nurse but she just stared at him. Cuddy raced into the room and put the setting to 400. House put the two paddles on his chest and shocked his heart. He looked at the monitor: still flatline.

"NO! Damnit! NO!" House screamed, then punched Wilson's heart as hard as he could.

Then...beeps...from the monitor. His heart beat on its own again. House stepped back and the nurses continued to attend to Wilson. House let out his breath he'd held. House looked at Cuddy and they walked out of the room. House approached Julie, who had tears streaming down her face. Cameron was holding onto her shoulder for support.

"He's back, Julie." House said as he walked away. Julie collapsed in Cameron's arms in relief.

Cuddy followed him back to his office, to the couch where House sat in. He sat up with his head in his hands. Cuddy put her arm around him to comfort him. Neither spoke a word. Neither of them had to.

A few hours later, Cameron walked into the room and found House and Cuddy asleep on the couch. Cuddy was beside him; his arm was around her, with her head on his arm.

"I'm sorry to wake you, House."

"Ca...Cameron, what is it?" House asked as he shook Cuddy awake. They both sat up.

"Wilson. His blood pressure is back to normal and he's asking for you." She said.

"Great." House said as he sat up and walked out the door. Cuddy looked at Cameron and told her to sit down.

"Have you slept at all today, Cameron?" Cuddy asked.

"No, I haven't." She answered.

"Come on. Lie down. I'm going to check on Wilson my...ah, there's Chase." Cuddy said as Chase came into House's office.

"Chase, can you stay with Cameron?" Cuddy asked as she walked toward the door.

"Of course I will. Are you okay, Allison?" Chase asked concerned as he sat down next to her.

When House approached Wilson's room, House first noticed Wilson still had the oxygen tube in his nose, I.V. drip in his arm and pads of electrodes taped all over his chest. His heart was beating strong and steady. Then he saw Sarah sitting next to him and holding his hand. He was awake and talking with her.

"Hey, buddy! How ya doin'?" House asked as he walked to the bed.

"I hear you punched the hell outta me." Wilson said with a slight grin. "You owe me one."

"Yeah, well, next time I go into cardiac arrest you can hit me. I have enough patients beating me up now as it is. Sarah, would you mind leaving us alone for a minute?" House said.

She looked at Wilson, who nodded his head. "It's okay, sweetie. You need to stay off your feet." Sarah stood up, gave him a peck on the cheek and walked out of his room.

"James, you scared the hell out of all of us."

"Yeah, I scared the hell outta me, too. Where's Julie?" Wilson asked as he stretched his neck.

"Fine. I hear she's gone home. How's Sarah?"

"She's started radiation, and she did look bad, don't you think? She's starting to hemorrage, though. I told her she should stay in bed." Wilson said as he coughed. He grabbed his stomach as the coughing had stretched his scar from the area they removed his spleen.

House shrugged his shoulder. "Glad you are back, James." House said as he patted Wilson on his shoulder.

"By the way, did the Dr. tell you if they lost you in surgery?"

"Yeah, he did. Said I was gone for about two minutes." Wilson answered.

"okay. Get some rest, will ya? I'm taking over your clinic duty and I've had enough of that." House said as he laughed.

"But I don't have clinic duty, House." Wilson said as he closed his eyes.

"You will when you are up and on your feet. You owe me!"

"Yeah, okay. Whatever you say, boss." Wilson mumbled as he fell to sleep.

House sighed and walked out of his room. He stopped just outside the door and leaned against the wall. '_No, I've never prayed. And I don't really know what God's plans are, but someone answered my pray_.' House said as he started to walk down the hall.

Back in House's office, where Cameron and Chase were sitting on the couch, neither one of them spoke a word. They avoided each other outside the conference room as best they could, which, considering they worked together, was hard to do. Cameron hadn't yet told Chase she was pregnant, but she'd stupidly told him she was taking the amphetamines, just to get him off track of her being pregnant. She didn't know why she lied. She never lied.

"Chase, I'm not doing drugs."

"But you said you were. Why did you tell me you were?" Chase asked.

"I don't know." She said as she turned to look at Chase. "I'm pregnant, Robert."

Chase looked at her flabbergasted. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. That's why I've been so tired lately."

"Allison, we'll talk after Wilson gets better. Our heads will be clearer then."

"Oh, I've already thought about it. I don't want to keep it." Cameron whispered.

"WHAT? You can't be serious! It's my baby, too!" Chase said as he stood up. Cameron kept quiet.

"Allison, it's because of House, isn't it?"

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You still have feelings for him, right? You'd kill our baby in the hopes that he'd want you? What has gotten into you? Don't be an idiot. You know he's been with Cuddy, don't you?"

"Yeah, yea…how did you know?"

"Oh, please. I know it didn't take them three hours to go to Cuddy's house, get the food and bring back here. You knew it, too. I saw it in your face."

Cameron sat back on the couch. She didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't deny it.

"Chase, fine, we'll do it your way. We'll talk after Wilson gets better." Cameron said as she closed her eyes. Chase went to the couch and sat beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders, and she put her head on his. Chase closed his eyes and they both drifted off to sleep.

With Wilson still in I.C.U., House felt obligated to continue to treat Sarah Lewis. Actually, the truth was, it was his way of keeping an eye on her and what she and Wilson were up to. And Barbara kept popping into his mind. That never happened; a patient's case being played over and over in his head. It was almost 7p.m. and House headed to Sarah's room. He popped a couple of pills on his way.

"Hi, Ms. Lewis. I wanted to check on you before I headed home. How are you feeling?" House said as he walked through the door with her file in his hand.

"Hi, Dr. House. Much better, thanks." She lied. She'd just woken up after seeing Wilson in his room. The radiation treatment was beginning to take its toll.

"Dr. House, Barbara said she knew you did everything you could. I keep seeing her press her hands to her ears. Does that make sense to you?"

House looked at her curiously. _'Oh, what the hell.' _He thought to himself.

"Yes."

"I keep seeing those three monkeys: See No Evil, Speak No Evil, Hear No Evil. And I hear bickering….wait. She said she got into drugs because her mother blamed her for Carrie, or Karen's illness. She was kind of glad she was deaf because she could block out her mother's voice. But, she knew she was really sick, and doesn't blame you."

House's eyebrows had gone up as she spoke. _'Why is she telling me this, now? I don't feel guilty for Barbara's death. True, I thought I neglected her and was not able to find out what caused her to be sick. But maybe that's why she is on my mind so much. Well, that just doesn't make sense.' _House thought to himself.

"okay. I'll remember that." House said as he walked to her I.V. to check the level of fluid in the bag.

"Dr. House? I'm still bleeding quite a bit. Why am I bleeding so much?" She asked.

"It'll stop on its own. After you have the hysterectomy tomorrow morning to remove your cervix, it'll go back to normal. But with the one radiation treatment, your body has lost some signals to other parts of your body and they've gone whacky. Once the radiation begins to work, it'll slow down."

"Oh, okay. Thanks, Dr. House. How's James?" She asked as she settled down into the bed.

"Better. Looks like he's going to make it. He's got a long way to go, though. But he'll be fine."

Sarah smiled as she closed her eyes. "okay, great."

House looked at her a moment before he walked out into the hall to go to his office to get his things. He approached his office and saw Cameron and Chase asleep on the couch. Her head was on his shoulder and his head was on top of hers.

'_They really do make a nice couple.'_ House thought to himself. He walked to his desk quietly, put his duffle bag on his desk, put in his Ipod, GameBoy, bike helmet and the folder he'd brought in the day before on his license renewal. He still hadn't made a dent in it. But he told himself he'd do it tonight at home.

He turned off his computer and turned off the lights. He wasn't going to wake them, but he'd been a little too nice to them lately and he needed to do something nasty. As he passed by the couch, he purposefully stepped on Chase's foot.

"Wha…HEY! That hurt!" Chase yelled as he put his head up. Cameron stirred and woke up.

"Time you two went home. Preferably in your own beds." House stated.

"Uh, how's Wilson?" Cameron asked as she rubbed her eyes.

"Resting comfortably. Now get out of my office!"

Chase and Cameron walked out silently as House closed and locked the door behind him. The three walked down the hall to the elevator.

"How are you two holding up?" House asked, just because he couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Better, knowing Wilson has improved." Cameron answered.

"Did Foreman go home?" House asked.

"No, he volunteered for night duty. He was already here and he couldn't sleep." House just nodded his head. When the elevator door opened they stepped out into the lobby.

"See you two love birds tomorrow." House said with a wink and he walked out the door.

"Cameron? Are you going to be okay tonight? I can stay if you want me to." Chase asked hopefully.

"No, I'll be asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow."

"You sure? I can stay with you tonight. We still have to talk, remember?" Chase said.

"Yeah, I remember. Fine, you can stay if you want. But don't get your hopes up." Cameron said as they headed for the door.

"Hopes up about what?" Chase asked teasingly.

"Robert, shut up." Cameron said with a grin on her face.

They walked toward Cameron's car as House passed them on his bike. He slowed down like he was going to say something, but he only slowed down to see if Chase and Cameron were actually going in the same car. He saw they were. He thought of giving the 'thumbs up' signal, but decided against it. He'd have plenty of time to harass them later.

Later that night, House sat in his apt. staring at the papers he didn't want to do, as usual. He'd thought about calling Cuddy, but thought against it. The pain of knowing Stacy was leaving kept him from getting attached to Cuddy. _'But would that be so bad?'_ He thought to himself.

Chase and Cameron got in her apt. and they sat on the couch, trying to watch a movie. "Cameron, can we talk now?" Chase asked right in the middle of the movie.

"I guess."

"You know I like you, right? And I don't want you to abort the baby. No way! We'll get through it, I promise. I can take care of the both of you. But you've got to forget about House. He's told you more than once that he doesn't like you. What kind of relationship would you two have?"

"If he doesn't like me, then why did he give me a dirty look when you and I hugged? Why is harassing us about being 'together?' Why does he keep acting like he's jealous? I'm not a child. I can read the signs."

"Allison, he's too old for you! He's at leas…"

"Robert, cut it out. Age doesn't mean anything."

"What I'm trying to say is he's not GOOD enough for you! Can't you see that?"

"Oh. So, you are telling me what's good for me?" Cameron snapped.

"Yes, well, no. But you know what I mean. He doesn't know _how_ to love anyone but himself."

"That's mean, Ro…"

"But it's the truth! You are too blind to see it. He'd treat you like crap!" He said.

"You don't know that." Chase sighed heavily. He didn't want to do this with her. Not now. Not now that she's pregnant. That's a whole different ballgame.

"Allison," He said as he stood up. "I do not nor WILL not let you abort that baby. Do you understand me?"

"Excuse me! Chase, I think you should leave." Cameron said as she stood up to go to the door.

"Allison, listen to me."

"Out, Robert. I will see you tomorrow." She said as she opened the door.

Chase reluctantly grabbed his coat and walked out the door. He'd stopped and looked into her eyes, trying to read something in them. There was nothing, nothing but hatred. When the door closed behind Chase, Cameron walked back to the couch and sat down. She was so tired, and it wasn't just because of the baby. There were too many things going on. She didn't know how to handle it all. She decided to go to bed early and get a good night sleep. Her tummy had been bothering her the past few hours but she attributed it to stress. She crawled under the sheets, thought about House, Chase, the baby. She was asleep in two minutes.

When she woke up the next morning, her stomach was really bothering her. She had trouble getting out of bed, and when she stood up to go to the bathroom, it felt like she'd pee'd. When she looked down, she saw blood on the inside of her thighs, and she looked at the bed; there was a huge puddle of blood in the spot where her hips were.

"No…no…no…" She cried out as she reached for the phone.

Dr. Wilson lay in his bed for the second day slowly getting his strength back. The Dr. told him he could get into a regular room the next day. He was recuperating very well, although it was hard for him to sit up with his broken ribs and missing spleen. But he was doing much better than he was before. The gang came to visit him when they could, and Julie finally left for the day. She was really starting to irritate him with all her questions. She never seemed to be this concerned before. They had been doing nothing but argue the past few months. He was glad when she left. But Sarah made his day go by so much quicker. She make him laugh, although it hurt, but it was good to smile. And to see her smile. He really didn't know why he never stayed with Sarah; oh, yeah, he was married, to Julie. He just loved it when Sarah would come to visit him after hours. He closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep.

Early the next morning, before the sun rose, Wilson was lying awake in his bed. He knew Sarah's hysterectomy was this morning, and he was worrying about her. He was sitting in the dark when he heard her voice.

"Hey, baby!" Sarah said as she bounced into his room.

"What are you doing here so early?"

"I wanted to sneek in here and see you before my surgery. I wanted your face to be the last one I saw, and your lips to be the last I'd kissed." She said as she leaned over the bedrail and kissed him on his lips.

"How are you feeling?" Sarah asked him as she rubbed his cheek.

"Good, now that you're here." Wilson said.

"James, there's something I want to show you." She said as she pulled something out from her left hand. It was a picture of a 5-year old boy, blonde hair and big smile.

"See, he has your eyes." Sarah said.

Wilson looked at her bewildered. "What? What are you saying? He's _mine_?"

"Yes, darlin'. He's yours. And he's as smart and funny as you are."

"Why didn't you tell me earlier, Sarah?"

"I couldn't. I tried, but then you got in that accident. I am so glad you are okay."

"What's his name?" Wilson asked.

"Charlie. Your middle name, Daddy." Sarah said, smiling.

Wilson was flabbergasted that he had a son. The last time he'd seen Sarah it was three years ago, but she never mentioned Charlie. With his first wife, Sharon, she had non-specific ovarian failure, and she never could get pregnant. His second wife, Ida...well, they were only married for three months, and luckily they didn't have children. Then, with Julie, they'd been married for four years, and they never talked about kids. But deep down, Wilson wanted a child, maybe two. And, now it seemed he has a son.

Wilson looked at his watch and it was 6:30. They were probably wheeling Sarah in right now for her surgery. 'But she'll be fine.' He told himself. 'After all, I want to see him.' The nurse walked in to get his vitals and get some blood work to check his liver and kidney functions. But overall, Wilson was going to be fine, too.

Cameron sat on the bed and cried. She couldn't go through another miscarriage, actually, losing another baby. She reached for the phone.

"Hello?" Came the male voice. All he could hear were sobs.

"Hello? Cameron, is that you? What's wrong?"

"Ch...ase...I...ost the bay...bee." Cameron cried.

"Allison, stay right there! I'll be over in 15 minutes!" Chase said as he hung up the phone.

Cameron really wanted to call House, but she couldn't. She didn't want to get him involved in this. She slowly walked to the bathroom to clean up, but the pain was too bad. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her waist and between her legs. Then she sat on the edge of the bed until the door bell rang. She walked, bent over, to the door, unlocked it and Chase came in. He held her, and he could feel all the strength was out of her. He led her to the couch and sat her down gently.

"Allison, can you make it to the hospital?" Chase asked, concerned.

"No, I ca...an't. It hurts to stand."

"okay, okay. Let me call an ambulance, okay?" Chase said as he stood up to get the phone.

"No, no. It'll stop." She said.

"Allison, would you just be quiet and let me take care of you for a change?" Chase snapped. He reached for the phone and dialed 911.

House walked into the clinic at 8:45. His shift started at 8. But, as always, he didn't care he was late. He looked into Cuddy's office and the lights were still off. He glanced at the couch and grinned remembering the night before. He went up to his office and saw Chase sitting in the conference room, asleep with his head in his arms that were crossed. He dropped his things at his desk and went back to Chase.

"Chase! FIRE!" He said seriously.

"Huh...wa...oh, House. You jerk." Chase said before he realized he'd just called his boss a jerk.

"Another late night, stud?"

"House, leave it alone, will ya?"

"What's going on? Is it Wilson again?"

"No, no. He's fine. It's Cameron." Chase said as he stood up to get make some coffee.

"What is it? Is it the baby?" House asked.

Chase turned away from the coffee pot in a flash. "You knew?"

"Yeah, people just luv coming to me with their problems."

"She didn't even tell me until last night. House, she lost it. She called me this morning and she just came out from having a DNC. She's in room #236 if you want to see her." Chase said as he sat down at the table. House approached Chase and put his hand on Chase's shoulder.

"Chase, I'm sorry. Really." House said sincerely.

"Bet you are relieved, eh?" Chase snipped.

"What do you mean by _that_?"

"Nothing." Chase said as he stood up to fill his mug with coffee. House thought he deserved that, then a milisecond later, he didn't deserve it. House walked out of the room and headed to see Wilson first, before he went to see Cameron.

House walked into Wilson's room expecting to find him, but they had moved him to his regular room. He'd have to track down a nurse to see which room. House sighed. _'Well, I guess I should see Cameron.' _He thought to himself. He walked down to the second floor to 236. He stood outside the door for a second before he walked in so he could get his thoughts together. 'She told me before she told Chase? What was that all about?' When House walked into her room, she was lying on her side facing the window. It had started to flurry.

"Cam?" House said. She didn't answer.

"Ca...Allison. I'm sorry about the baby. I saw Chase in the conf..."

She sniffed, then said, "I don't want to talk right now."

House shook his head and walked toward the bed. "Cameron, why can't you talk to me?"

"Because...I don't know. I like Chase, I really do. But I can't deny my feelings for you. And I know you have feelings for me. But you and Cuddy...yesterday. I saw the picture of you and her by that buggy. And you two looked really happy. I can't compete with her. You two have a past."

"Right, exactly. It's in the past. What happened yesterday, well, I don't think it's going to happen again. Bambi was busy and..."

"Shut up, House. That's not funny anymore. I hope you and Cuddy are happy together." She said, then covered herself up with the blanket to shut House out.

"Allison, I know you're hurting, I really do. Believe me, I do." House said as he limped to the side of the bed she was facing. "But you're just going to give up on me?" House asked. Cameron blinked her eyes, not realizing what she'd just heard. She pulled the blanket down from her face and looked at him.

"Yes, Allison. You're right. I do have feelings for you. But I'm just not ready. I told you how you reminded me of my father. It just...scares me. I don't want to hurt you, and you know I would. I don't want us to be like Stacy and I. I hired you for a reason."

"And what was the reason? To do a job that I'm good at, or play stupid, childish games and lead me on to get into my pants?" She retorted. Then she rolled over to face the other side of the bed. House had gotten angry, grabbed her left shoulder and pulled her toward him.

"What do you think?" House asked, as he bent over the rail and kissed Cameron on her lips.

She pulled away. "House, don't do this. Not now."

"Not now? What do you mean 'not now'?"

"I don't know, House, I don't know. Go away, okay?"

With that, House didn't know what to say. She had been throwing herself at him since forever, and now that he kissed her, she pushed him away? _'WOMEN!' _House said to himself and walked out without saying goodbye. He walked back up to the floor Wilson was on and asked the nurse at the station what room he was moved to. He got the room number and headed down the hall to the stairs. He rarely, if at all took the stairs, but he needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts, again. _'This is too much! My brain hurts with all this thinking, damnit!'_ He thought to himself as he walked up a flight and sat at the last step of the next flight of stairs. _'I knew I should have kept Bambi's phone number.'_ He joked to himself. He grabbed his cane and walked up the few steps to Wilson's room.

"Hey, buddy!" House said cheerily as he walked into Wilson's room. The curtain to the other bed was drawn completely, and House's hello had woken the patient up from his snoring.

"How can you sleep with all that racket, Wilson?" House asked as he leaned against the wall.

"Oh, you know. It's the pain killers! They're great!" Wilson answered.

"I wasn't talking about Frosted Flakes, dude!" House joked. "So, what's the verdict?"

"I'll be out of here by next week, Wednesday, hopefully." Wilson said, as he reached for something and gave it to House.

"Who's this? OH! James! You had my baby! And he's walking already!" House laughed.

"House, shut up." Wilson said seriously. House had alot of people telling to shut up lately. He made a mental note to add one more.

"He's my son, House. With Sarah. She's in surgery right now."

"Oh, oh...OH! Really? You the man!" House said with a smirk.

"You know I've always wanted a kid. But with Sarah's cancer, and Julie. Sht! Julie! What am I thinking?" Wilson exclaimed.

"You're thinking about dumping your little nurse girlfriend, divorce Julie and marry Sarah."

"Uh, NO! God, this has been the worst Thanksgiving I have ever had." Wilson said.

"No. Remember that time you got food poisoning at your sister-in-law's house and you threw up for three da..."

"Goodbye, House." Wilson said with a little grin on his face.

"Later!" House said as he walked out the door.

'Okay, I've got one more person to see.' House said to himself as he headed for the elevator and pressed 'L' for the lobby. When he approached Cuddy's office he noticed her sitting behind her desk. Her hair was a mess and it didn't look like she wore makeup. _'Just the way I like her.' _House thought to himself as he pushed open the door.

"Morning, boss!" House said. Cuddy jumped a little bit out of his chair.

"There are three cases for you out front. A runny nose, and hemoroid and a sticky belly button?"

"Oh, you are kidding me, right?" House whined.

"No, dead serious. Now get out there."

"But, but, boss! I wanted to talk about what happened yesterday."

"Nothing happened yesterday." Cuddy answered with a dry tone.

"Nothing? I'd say something happened, three times for you and twice for me!"

"House, OUT!" Cuddy said as she pointed to the door. He shuffled his feet and walked out the door.

House grabbed the file of the runny nose first because that was the easiest case. He walked into Exam room 2, where a little boy sat on the table and his father was sitting in a chair by the door.

"It's about time you got here, Doc! He hasn't stopped sneezing and I've had to stuff three kleenex up his nose!" The father said.

"Are you a single father?" House asked as he opened the file to review the notes.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

To House, it was easy. The kid had a haircut like a bowl was put on his head and then Stevie Wonder cut the hair, the kid's clothes were dirty and the color of the father's clothes didn't even match.

"Just a lucky guess. What medications have you been giving him?" House asked.

"Tylenol, Robitussin, NyQuil, DayQuil, Suda..."

"okay, okay. Hold on a minute. You've given him all those?" House asked surprised.

"Yeah, and nothing has worked."

"Of course they didn't, Father of the Year! You've just doped up your son! That's why he has those wonderful green hazy looking eyes!"

The father look at him dumfounded. "Excuse me?"

"Why? Did you fart? okay, you are excused." House, but hesitated. "Here, get this filled at the Pharmacy. And give him ONLY this. It's called an antihistamine. And keep him away from cats, will ya?" House said as he handed the prescription to the father and walked out.

He went and got the file of the second patient, the stinky belly button. 'This ought to be good.' House thought to himself as he walked into Exam room 1. There was a woman of about 25 sitting on the exam table. She had long, blonde, straight hair, blue eyes, almost as blue as his. She 'filled out that paper gown rather nicely.' House thought to himself with a grin.

"I'm Dr. House. okay, take off your blouse." House said.

"But I'm already wearing the gown." She answered.

"Oh, oh. Yes, you are, aren't you? okay, lay back." She did as she was told.

House reached for a Q-tip, with a handle about 12 inches long. "Now, take a deep breath and hold it." House said.

"What? For my belly button?"

"No, so you can blow up a balloon for me!" He said sarcastically. "okay, fine, don't."

House dipped the cotton tip into her belly button then brought it to his nose. He made a disgusted face and threw it in the trash.

"Do you ever clean your belly button?" He asked.

"Of course I do."

"Then why does it smell like a cess pool in the middle of summer?"

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

"okay. Listen to me very carefully. When you get home, get a Q-tip, dip it in alcohol, clean it out, then put powder in it. Everytime you take a shower, sprinkle a little bit of powder in it."

"Are you serious? I thought I had a hole in my belly button, it smelled so bad."

House rolled his eyes.

"Have a nice day." House said as he walked out the door.

'One more! Yippeee!' House thought to himself as he grabbed the next file and went to exam room 1.

"Dr. House! I'm not done changing, yet!" She screamed when he opened the door where the previous patient was.

"It's okay, just pretend I'm not here." House said as he sat down and pulled out his GameBoy.

"You played Purple Onion?" House asked her as she button her blouse. She stared at him blankly.

"I can't get past the Haunted Vegetable Garden with the Purple Carrot Monsters." House said, pressing button after button with overexaggerated facial expressions.

She grabbed her purse and hurried to the door.

"Hey! Close the door behind you, will ya?" House called after her. She did so.

Thirty minutes later, with House still sitting in the exam room playing his game, his pager went off. He groaned, turned it off, popped two Vicodin and went up to his office. Chase was seated at the conference table, bored, as usual.

"Where's Dar'Tanyon?" House asked as he filled his coffee mug.

"He's sleeping in this morning." Chase answered. "He had the late shift last night."

"Oh, that's right." House said. "How's Cameron?"

"She's fine. She's being released this afternoon."

"Good, good. Glad to hear it. You gonna be with her tonight?" House asked as he sat down in the chair.

"I really don't believe you, House! How could you even be going there wh..."

"Oh, Chase. You get excited too easily...oops, or is that what Cameron told you?"

"House, stop being an a$$." He snapped and walked out of the room.

'Good, one more to my list. I LOVE it!' House thought to himself as he sipped his coffee.

Chase walked upstairs to Cameron's room. She was just changing into her sweat pants and sweater.

"Got everything together, Allison?" Chase asked her as he stood by her and kissed her cheek.

"Yeah, just about. Robert, thanks for this morning. I mean, coming over so quickly and all."

"Stop. You don't have to thank me. I'm glad I was there for you. Glad you _let_ me be there for you." Cameron stopped tieing her sneakers and looked up at him.

"Chase, I don't need you to babysit me. I'm a big girl."

"Oh, come on! You know what I meant! You don't have to be a marytr, Allison. Why won't you let me in?" Cameron sighed and sat back on the bed.

"Chase, it took me years to get over the loss of my first baby. She died at three months of a heart murmur. She shouldn't have died! I just can't do this again."

Chase empathized with her and walked toward her. "You don't have to do this alone. I'm here for you. I've always been here for you."

She turned and looked into his eyes. She had to fight back the tears, and what she felt the best she could. "Robert, I'm sor..."

"Hey, don't apologize." He said as he put his arm around her. "We'll get through this together, okay?"

She pressed her head against his chest and sobbed. And sobbed. And he held her, tight. And tears began to form in Chase's eyes, too.

"I'll stay with you tonight, Allison. It'll be alright."

"How can you even _th_..." Chase shut Cameron up when he placed a long, passionate kiss on her lips. Her tears faded and her heart opened. For him. For Chase. And only Chase.

Dr. Cuddy sat at her desk going through paperwork that had piled up over the past few days. But she didn't mind. She wanted to speak to Cameron before they released her from the hospital. Foreman was to arrive shortly, and Rog, the new intern, could assist him. Everyone has been through a lot the past few days, including Cuddy. She surprised herself at how easily she gave in to him. She still hadn't figured out why, even after hours of tossing and turning in bed last night. She'd thought about calling him, just for the heck of it. But she decided against it. She didn't know what to say anyway.

She looked at her clock; it read 12:51. House hadn't bugged her since this morning, and it was nice. He had nine more minutes to his shift. But, still, it worried her. The more House stayed away from Cuddy, the more she worried. She had every reason in the world to worry. Cuddy sighed, reached for her coffee mug for a sip, and glanced out the window at the reception desk. House was sitting in one of the chairs, pretending to fill out papers. She knew that couldn't be right. Something told her something was going on. She stood up and walked out into the lobby.

"Dr. House? What are you doing out here?" She asked him.

"I'm anxiously awaiting my next patient, Dr. Cuddy. Aren't you proud of me?" He said as he closed the file he was working on. 'She doesn't know I didn't fill anything out.' House thought to himself.

"House, you stuck me with that hemorrhoid patient this morning. You owe me another hour." She snipped.

"A whole hour? Geez, can't you just send me to the principal's office?"

"No. He told me to take care of you myself." She replied, playing right into his hands.

"Oh, he did?" He said with a wicked grin. "Should we take his advice, say, tonight?"

"House, it's been a long week. And I'm planning on doing nothing all weekend. Can we just let it go?"

"Let it go? Where have I heard that one before?" He hesitated.

"Oh, yeah. Stacy. Well, I've taken her advice, but now I can't seem to get you out of my head. Well, you and Anjelina…" His thoughts drift off as he stares into space with a grin on his face.

"HOUSE! Stop it. Now, take this pat…" House said as he stood up. He went to the waiting room, which was packed full of patients. Cuddy hid her face in her hand because she knew what was coming.

"Happy Thanksgiving! I see lots of you were eating a bit too much yesterday. Might I suggest each of you take some Peptobismal and let nature take its course. Trust me, I know exactly how you are feeling. I had the _best_ meal I've ever had yesterday! Let me tell you! I had turkey and mashed potatoes and corn…well, not corn, oh, that's a long story. Anyway, I'm all bloated and have gas myself, so, who wants me?" The patients all look at each other. About half the room raised their hand.

"okay, let me put…oops, excuse me. Seems I tooted a little. okay, those that raised your hands, who wants me now?"

No one raised their hand. House grinned in satisfaction because it actually worked. He turned around and looked for Cuddy, but she had gone into her office and the door was still in the process of closing.

'House 1, Cuddy 0.' House smirked, then headed to his office for his duffle bag and stuff to take home for the weekend.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

The weekend was peaceful, reflective, somewhat relaxing for most of the Doctors, but not for House. As usual. On that Sunday night he was thinking of Stacy leaving, of Cameron's miscarriage, of Wilson's health, Wilson's son. But most of all, himself. As usual.

_'Cameron has been on my back for months to get me. Now that I've kissed her, she doesn't...Steve...you hungry, buddy? Here ya go. But Cuddy, wow. She blew my socks off, literally.' _He laughed evily.

"What do you think I should do, Stevie? Cuddy or Cameron? Hmm, they both start with 'C', but Cameron ends in an 'n', which comes before 'y'. BUT Cuddy has two 'd's in her name (double d's are better). On the other hand, Cameron's name has three syllable while..." The phone rang.

"Hello? 'n' or 'y'? He said into the mouthpiece.

"Excuse me?" Came the female voice.

"Just pick one, for Pete's sake!"

"Why?"

"okay, 'y' it is! What do you want?"

"Can I come over? She asked.

"Uh, well, actually no. I've got a headache."

"House, this is serious. Please?" She begged.

"Fine, but I'm going to bed at 11 after the movie "Flight of the Phoenix." I heard the British guy is really good!" She hung up the phone.

Chase had spent the weekend with Cameron, and he was glad he did. She was a wreck. She had trouble staying asleep, and when she did, she tossed and turned. But Chase laid right next to her. Watching her. He'd only fallen asleep a few times himself. But there was no way he was going to leave her alone. Not after losing the baby. She even talked about it in her sleep.

'_Please let me hold my baby before...Oh, she's sooo tiny...absolut...angelic. Emma...Emma_!' Cameron woke up crying with that dream.

_'But Emma? She'd named the baby? Wait, she was talking about holding her before...'_ Chase thought to himself. He would ask her about it when she was feeling better.

Cuddy had trouble going to sleep, too. She tried to read a book but ended up reading the same line over and over. And it still didn't make sense. She thought of her and House in her bed. She reached out her arm and spread her hand over where he laid when they were done. She smiled. She couldn't deny she enjoyed being with him. But it was all so complicated. The time they were together they were both so young.

_'And House is worse than a kid!'_ She thought to herself.

Foreman had a great weekend, though. After Thursday night's late shift, and working Friday afternoon, he had two days off. He was laying in bed with Michelle at his side. It had been a long time since he had feelings for anyone. And she was perfect. Well, more perfect than any girl he'd ever dated before.

Wilson, on the other hand, wished he'd died in the accident. He didn't want to tell Julie about Sarah, or Charlie, but Sarah was in the room this morning when Julie came in unexpectantly.

"Hi. I'm James' wife, Julie. And you are?" She said snottily.

"Sarah." She said as she put out her hand. Julie didn't put her hand out.

"May I speak with my husband alone, please?" Julie said.

Sarah looked at Wilson and he nodded his head. She left the room, but stood outside the glass window watching them. They said a few heated words before she stormed out. Julie did notice Sarah standing at the window and she gave Sarah a dirty look. Sarah knew what that meant. She walked back into Wilson's room.

"James, what happened?"

"I told her I want a divorce. This has been a long time coming, and I'm glad that it's you that kicked me in the butt to do it." He said, with a tear in his eye. Sarah wiped his tear away and she grabbed for her hand.

"I love you, Sarah." He whispered, totally exhausted.

"James, I love you too. Now get some sleep, baby. I've got to get back to my room. I'm starting to hurt." She said, as she bent over and kissed his lips.

Stacy had a miserable weekend. Mark was in a grumpy mood, and usually he had a sense of humor. She didn't know if it was because of House, or him.

_'Maybe House _was_ right. Maybe she is going to let me go.' _ Mark thought to himself, as he watched Stacy hang up the phone as she walked into the living room.

"Who was that, honey?"

"No one. I've got to run to get some a birthday card for a nurse at the hospital. Do you want anything while I'm out?" She asked as she grabbed for her keys and purse.

"No, thanks. Stacy?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"I love you." Mark said.

"I'll be back soon." She replied, rather coldly.

House sat on his couch while he waited for Cuddy. And thinking of the last time they were together. Last year.

_HOUSE'S MEMORY:_

..."Greg, I'mmm sorry to bother yo...om innn?" She looks past House to avoid eye contact. House steps aside and Cuddy walks in...music in the background: Love the One You're With.

"_There's a girl right next to you.  
And she's just waiting for something to do_..."

House tenses up hoping Cuddy hasn't heard the line of the song. He leans against the wall because he doesn't have his cane, looking at her. Waiting for her to say something. Her arms are crossed over her chest, holding herself and she shivers violently. House feels sympathy for her, after all she's been through. After what that SOB Thomas did to her.

"Cuddy...Lisa. Let me have your raincoat. You'll catch you're death of cold. Well, at least I'll know how to diagnose you." Lisa looks up at him and he notices for the first time the four red and welting up finger imprints in her right cheek.

"What the _hell_ did that bastard do to you this time?"

House takes a steps forward, but Lisa takes a step back. House wants to reach out and hold her, make her stop shaking. She slides down the wall until she's completely sitting on the floor. House kneels down, slowly, onto his left leg.

"Lisa! What is he going to do to you next time? KILL you? Is that what it'll take for him to stop hitting you?" Lisa sniffs, wipes her nose on the sleeve of her coat and looks up at him.

"Greg, I didn't mean to...it was all over the floor and I was cleannnn-ing it up but..." She bursts into tears again.

House stretches his arms out to her, and this time she collapses into his arms. He could feel every muscle in her body clinch up, as he has no other choice. He plops onto the floor, and for several minutes holds her until her sobs become quieter and she stops shaking. He was at a complete loss for words. He wasn't good at this  
sort of thing. But he told her it would happen.

"Lisa, shhhh. Come on. You need to get out of these wet clothes. I think you'd still look pretty good in my..." House stops talking because he knew this wasn't the time for this. It never happens with him that often, but he does know when to shut up. He stands up, slowly, bends down for her arms.

"I...I...can't stay. I've got to get ba..."

"You are not going _anywhere_! I'm not going to read in the paper tomorrow that your boyfriend killed you as soon as you walk back in that door. You are staying here...tonight. We'll deal with the rest tomorrow."

"No, no. You don't understan...he's got a gun." House freezes for a second, but pulls as best as he can at her arms to stand her up. He puts his right arm around her shoulders, more as a crutch than helping her walk, and he heads toward the bedroom. He grabs a thick towel on the way to the bed, throws it down and sets her down.

"You stay here. I'll be right back, okay, Lisa?" House glares at her, challenging her to defy him. She nods her head.

House walks back in a few minutes later with a glass of brandy. He hands it to Lisa as he sits on the bed next to her. He doesn't speak. She sips the brandy slowly and waits for it to warm her up. When he finishes the last swallow, he stands up and heads to the bureau, opens a drawer, pulls out a white, cotton button down  
shirt and pair of jeans. He turns around and sets them on the bed.

"Holler for me when you are changed. I'll throw the clothes in the dryer." He walks out and closes the door behind him. Ten minutes go by, and when Lisa doesn't holler for him he goes to knock on the door.

"Yeah, I'm done." House opens the door and sees Lisa sitting on the foot of the bed. 'Damn, she looks sexy in that...' He thought to himself. He walks toward the bed and sits down on her right.

"Feeling better?"

"Uh huh. Greg, I'm so sorry to bother you but I didn't know where else to go."

"You've always known you can come to me if you need to. But you've never needed to. I'm glad you did though. It's good to know you still know you CAN come to me when you need someone."

"House! I didn't come here to have sex with you. I was just torn..."

"Lisa, that's not what I was talking about, either!" House looks at her and sees the exhaustion in her face.

"Get up." House says. She looks up at him like she's going to kick him in the balls. She slowly stands up. He walks around her, as close to her as he can without touching her and pulls the bedsheet down. Lisa takes a few steps back.

"You are SUCH an ashole! I said I will not..." She watches him walk away from the bed to the bureau, opens another drawer and pulls out a bed sheet and grabs a pillow.

"I will be in the living room if you need anything. I promise I won't break the door down to atta..." House gets a loathing, disgusted expression on his face about what he just said. "I'm sorry."

Lisa looks at him in astonishment as she watches him walk out the door and closes it behind him. He sits on the couch and runs his hand through his hair, sighing deeply.

_SCENE FADES... SCENE BRIGHTENS..._

House is asleep on the couch when a sudden noise wakes him up.

"Wha...what is it?"

"Me, Greg. I can't sleep. I"ve just been tossing and turning. Can I sit out here with you?" House sits up and looks at her.

"No. Let's go to bed. You'll sleep better...if I'm with you." She looks up at House and he can read that all the fight is gone in her.

"Lisa, trust me, please. I'm not an ass all the time." She stands up and the walk into the bedroom. Lisa lies under the covers, while Greg lies on top. He hears her say 'thank you.' He turns to look at her...

_FLASHFORWARD TO PRESENT_

House walked to the door as the doorbell just quit chiming. He sighed, reached for the knob, and opened the door. He smiled as he saw Cuddy standing there in jeans and shirt. A tight shirt. He stepped aside to let her pass.

"You want a drink?" House asked as Cuddy took off her coat and laid it on the armrest of the couch.

She nodded her head, but she didn't look directly at him. House walked to the mini bar, refilled his glass of Scotch and made her Gin and soda. He remembered what that drink did to her. He did his best to hide a smile as he turned around to give her the drink. As he sat on the couch she pulled her back back away from her face. That's when he noticed she had a cut on the left side of her mouth.

"Lisa, let me see that." House said. But he'd seen enough to know what happened.

"It's fine, real..." House stood up and went to the bathroom for a washcloth, iodine and Neosporine, getting some ice on the way back to Cuddy. He knelt on the carpet in front of her and tenderly placed the washcloth with ice on her lip. She moaned a little as the pressure hurt just a bit. He gently took it away and looked at it.

"Well, doesn't look like it needs stitches. I thought you said you kicked him out." Cuddy nodded her head.

"I did. But he came by this morning and we got into a big fight. He wanted to get back together bu...OW!"

"Sorry, sorry. But I need to clean it. You know I don't have a bedside manner. Have you gone to the police?"

"No, of course not. But I think he got the hint when I kicked him where it hurts." Cuddy said, laughing, then stopped when the cut in her lip stretched. When he was done, he put the stuff on the coffee table and sat down beside her.

"Lisa, you have to do something about him. Wait, I thought you were going to Dallas? I totally forgot about that."

"Oh, I cancelled after what happend to Wilson. I wanted to be here." She said as she sipped her drink.

"Greg?"

"Yes, Lisa?"

"What happened with us Thursday uh, that shouldn't have happened."

"What do you mean? It was great." House said.

"Yeah, it was." Lisa said with half a grin. "But I mean, you and Stacy aren't getting along. It's jeopardizing your relationship and I don't..."

"I know, I know. But Stacy is leaving in two weeks. I cared about her, but I also care about you in a different way. A nicer way." He hesitated. "And it seems Cameron has had enough of me already. She and Chase seem to be good together and I'm happy for them. After I kissed her sh..."

"You did WHAT?" Cuddy exclaimed.

"Oh, yeah. Our first kiss. But bad timing." He said with a chuckle. "Lisa, do you want to stay here tonight? My bed is awfully cold."

"Wow, you're smooth! Telling a woman you kissed another woman then inviting them to bed! I am really turned on." She teased.

"Well, what can I say?" He said as he brushed his shoulder against hers. She leaned her body into his.

"Greg, I really appreciate you being there for me." She said as she looked into his eyes. He manuevered his body to face hers and pushed her against the back of the couch. With his thumb he gently caressed her cheek and brought his nose to her other cheek.

"Lisa, you should always know I am here for you. But don't tell everyone or they'll bother me all the time!" He teased. "Seriously, I'm glad you came to me." He said as he brushed his lips against hers. They embraced each other warmly. They accepted each other for who they were, not for who they would become.

House led her to the bedroom. The time they shared together seemed to erase all their worries and doubts. About themselves, about others that hurt them. And they made love. More passionate and deep than they'd ever shared in the past. And it felt good. It felt right. Stacy came back from the drug store with a small bag, minus the birthday card. She hadn't gone for the card.

"Hi, honey." Stacy said cheerily as she gave Mark a peck on the cheek.

"What did you bring me?"

"You said you didn't want anything!" She snipped.

"Hey, babe. It's okay. I was jus..." Mark started to say but Stacy turned around and headed for the bathroom.

She ran the hot water and put some bath foam in it. She took the box out of the bag and put it on the counter. She took the termometer shaped tool out and did what she had to do. But, she didn't WANT to do it. She soaked in the tub for almost an hour. She heard Mark wheel down the hall to the bedroom. She got out of the tub, dried off and sat on the toilet seat, looking at the 'thermometer.' She could see there were two blue streaks through both windows.

"Shit." She said out loud.

Foreman walked into the conference that Monday morning with a smile on his face, as did House. But Chase didn't. He was exhausted. Cameron called in sick today, but Rog was filling in for her.

"Okay, kiddies! We're gonna have a fun-filled day!" House said with a bit of sarcasm. He put his coffee mug on the table and sat down, pulling out his GameBoy.

"Excuse me, Sir? What case do we have this morning?" House looked up and rolled his eyes.

"Well, Dr. Cuddy tells me there is a patient with green snot, a headache and an uneven leg. Which do you want, Rog?" Rog sat there and looked at House with a blank expression.

"I thought we had patients to diagnose that no one else could find out what was wrong, Dr. House, Sir." House grinned at the 'sir.'

"Wow, you must have aced your 'Kiss Your Boss' A$$ 101!' I'm impressed."

Rog looked at Foreman, and Foreman just shrugged his shoulders. "You'll get used to him." He told him.

"Chase, how is Cameron?" House asked.

"Fine. She'll be in tomorrow."

"okay, good." Just then, House's pager went off.

"Hey, it's Carmen Electra! It's about time she called me." House said as he happily left the room.

It was Stacy that paged him and he headed for her office. As he approached the door, House could see Stacy sitting at her desk with her forehead in her hand, her elbow on the desk. She looked up as he walked through the door.

"You look like hell, Stace." House said as he sat on the couch.

"Thanks. I didn't get sleep at all last night."

"What's going on?" House asked.

"Greg, I'm not sure how to say this, but I'm pregnant."

House hesitated a moment and tapped the desk with the cane. "Congratulations." He said, very non-sincerely. Stacy looked at him because she knew he didn't understand.

"It's yours, Greg." She finally said.

House looked at her in shock. "Wow, five years? You've been pregnant for five years?" House tried to joke it off.

"You can be su...never mind. I thought it was just stress." Stacy said, as they both recalled the night they 'came to terms' with their feelings.

_FLASHBACK FOUR MONTHS AGO_

House called Stacy to his apartment because he had a leak in the bathroom sink. He couldn't get all the way in the back to tighten the bolt to fix it. But, he was able to get under there and loosen it enough to make it drip into the cabinet underneath.

"Greg, I still don't understand why you didn't call a plumber." Stacy said as she walked into his apartment. "It's 7:30; some of them do work late."

"Well, I called three places and they couldn't fit me in tonight."

"And you couldn't just put a bucket underneath the sink to catch the dripping water?" She asked.

"Uh, well, I don't have any buckets."

"You're pathetic, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know." House said with a devilish grin. He led her to the bathroom and opened the cabinet door, then sat on the toilet seat. She got down on her knees and looked under it. She sat back up and glared at him.

"You have got to be kidding me! There are four drops of water here!"

"Well, then, good! You caught it just in time." House smirked. "Here's the wrench." He said as he handed it to her, of course watching her as she crawled under the sink after Stacy snatched it out of his hand. As she made the first crank on the bolt, the wrong way, the tubing came apart and dark, filthy water came shooting out at Stacy under the sink. She screamed and jumped back out of the cabinet.

"Oh, man!" She said, as she wiped the water and dirt off her t-shirt and shorts. She looked in the mirror just from her neck up and even her hair was covered in filth. House stared at her with a grin on his face.

"Oh, I'm sooo sorry!" He said, unconvincingly. "I like that look on you. The grunged looked. Very flattering. Brings out the green in your eyes."

She turned and looked at him, then bust out laughing. Then, she quickly went back under the sink and tightened the bolt right that time. She grabbed a towel and wiped up the water on the bottom of the cabinet, and House handed her things to put back in.

"By the way, my eyes aren't green." Stacy corrected House.

"Oh, I've seen them green with jealousy. Now, you can't go home." He said.

"Excuse me? And why not?" She said as she dried the t-shirt and shorts.

"Because, I can see right through that, uh, shirt. Now _that's_ flattering!"

"Shut up, Greg. I'll see you tomorrow." Stacy said as she walked into the living room. She caught a glance of herself in the mirror and realized how dirty she really was.

"Damn, you're right. I can't go out like this. Mark would have a fit." She said as she turned toward House, who was standing at the bathroom door. He had a white button-down shirt and sweatpants in his hands, as well as a wicked grin.

"Told you you couldn't go out like that. Now take off your clothes." House told her.

"I most certain..."

"Stacy," House said shaking his head. "You can change in the bathroom. I'll wash the clothes. We'll have a beer, a few laughs."

Stacy squinted her eyes when he said 'few laughs.' She hesitated before she walked toward him and grabbed the clothes out of his hands. But he didn't move out of her way. They looked deep into each other's eyes before he moved and she walked in, then closed the door behind her. He stood right in the hallway outside the bathroom door waiting for the shower to be turned on. A smile spread across his face because the cat finally caught the mouse. He leaned the cane against the wall, leaned against it to take off his pants, threw them on the floor and removed his shirt. He opened the bathroom door slowly and quietly. He approached the shower curtain at the shower head end and slowly pulled back the curtain.

"Gregory William House! Get OUT of here!" She screamed, trying to cover herself.

"Can't. I'm dirty, too." He said as he reached out, ran his hand over her dirty shoulder and smeared it on his chest. "I need to clean myself up." He said as he lifted his left leg over the tub side, then lifted his right leg slowly over. They stood facing each other, with the hot water streaming down her back. He grabbed the washcloth she was holding and started to clean her up. She closed her eyes as his warm, big, soft hands washed over her body...

_FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT_

House looked at her. No thoughts came to his mind. "Stacy, I don..." House started to say.

"It's okay, Greg. Look, Mark and I are leaving next weekend, it'll be alright."

"What do you _mean_ it'll be alright? You're carrying my baby and you're still going to leave?"

"Greg, the night we were together, I had sex with Mark that ni..."

"I thought you weren't?" House snapped.

"Not that it's any of your busi..."

"The hell it is! You're having my baby be brought up by a man that isn't his father? What kind of crap is that!" House screamed.

"Wait a minute, Greg! You know it wouldn't work between us. Mark will make a great father."

House stood up and reached for something to throw but couldn't find anything. "Do you have _any_ idea what you are saying?"

"Yes, I do. I don't want my baby to be raised with a self-deprecating, egotist..." Stacy was interrupted.

"Yeah, yeah, never mind that. It's still my baby. You know we talked about having kids one day."

"Yes, Greg, we did. And thank God we didn't." She retorted. "I've made up my mind. No one has to know but you and I."

"Stacy, I can't believe this! No, I won't let this happen."

"There's nothing you can do, Greg. Nothing." She said confidantly.

"Oh, yes there is. This isn't over!" House said and stomped out of the office. Stacy sat behind her desk, and tears started to pour out of her eyes.

House stormed out of his office and headed for the roof. This particular day it was windy and gotten very cold. The clouds billowed above as if it were going to snow. He loved snow. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his bottle, took two pills and swallowed them down. His thoughts were everywhere this morning: on Cameron, Wilson, Stacy, the baby, Cuddy.

_'When it rains, it pours.' _He thought to himself. _'But, everything happens in threes. Oh, there are five. Oh, well. That's about par for the course. I wonder if that means there's one more bad thing that's going to happen...oh, hell! Mom and Dad are coming in Thursday. Terr-freakin-ific!'_ House went down to Wilson's room to keep his mind off everything.

"Hey, Wilson! How are those drugs treatin' ya?" House said as he approached his bed. Wilson turned his head to House and noticed his eyes were swollen. "What's wrong?"

"It's Julie. She is livid. She actually said she was going to contest the divorce."

"Oh." Was all House could say.

"I've never really forgotten about Sarah. I love being around her. She makes me feel good about myself. Julie doesn't; she never d..." Wilson grabbed his side because he'd tensed up and his ribs were wrapped up to let them heal properly. But he was well on his way to a full recovery.

"What has Sarah said?"

"She said she'd wait for me. She wants me to meet Charlie, and for Charlie to have his father. She wants us to be a family. And to tell you the truth, so do I."

House wanted to change the subject, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Well, there was his baby with Stacy, but he wasn't yet ready to face that. Sarah walked into the room, slowly, since she'd just had the hysterectomy that Friday before.

"Hi, James. Hi, Dr. House." Sarah said as she went to the bed and kissed Wilson on his cheek. "How are you feeling, baby?"

"Oh, well, my leg hurts and I have a headache and..." House answered, but was interrupted by Sarah.

"I think you know I meant James, Dr. House." She said with a grin. She didn't let House intimidate her. She actually liked him.

"Sarah?" House said.

"Yeah?"

"I think you can call me Greg, now." House said with a grin.

"Oh, okay, Dr. House." She said, smiling back.

"Well, I'll leave you two alone. I have about two patients to see, and I'm off in three hours."

"Bye, House." Wilson and Sarah said at the same time.

House walked to the elevator and went to the lobby. He reluctantly grabbed a folder and went into exam room 2. There was a man in his late 20's sitting on the table wearing a hospital gown that came to just above his knees. House opened the file and read his health complaints.

"I'm Dr. House. I see you have a cyst in your armpit? Lie down, please." Dr. House looked at the cyst, then pressed it as hard as he could.

"Ow! Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to yell." The man said.

"It is infected. This will need to be incised and drained. But here's a prescription for an antibiotic you'll need to take first. Make sure you make an appointment before you leave to have it drained." The patient nodded his head as House headed for the door.

"Oh, and stay away from underwire bras." House advised.

"Excuse me?" The man said.

House turned to look at him. "I noticed the recently shaved armpits, the hairless chest and your perfectly shaved legs. I'd say it was the underwire you wear whenever you 'do what you do.' The underwire is causing the cysts. Do like they did in the 70's; go braless!" He said as he opened the door and walked out.

House looked at his watch and it wasn't even noon yet. It was getting harder for him to find anything to do. Well, he had the GameBoy. And Saturday night he was almost out of the Haunted Vegetable Garden and killed all but one of the Purple Onion Monsters, then the Thousand Island Dressing found him and killed him. He headed for his office.

"Hey, Foreman, Rog. Whatcha guys doin'?" House asked as he passed through the conference to his office, without even waiting for an answer. Foreman and Rog just started at him as he limped by them. He looked at his phone and saw the message light blinking. He hit the 'play message' button.

"Hi, honey. It's Mom. We're going to be in town on Wednesday instead of Thursday. Dad has a gathering with some old military buddies Thursday night. I'll call you tomorrow night to let you know when we'll be in. I love you, son." BEEP He sat down and played his game for a while. The Blue Cheese Dressing was hiding in the corner with the Purple Onion Monster when Cuddy burst into his office and it made the little green bean hero run right into the dressing...whaa whaa whaa whaaaaa. 'GAME OVER' flashed on the screen.

"Dag nabbit, woman! I was almost there! Hey, wait, I've never said that...never mind. What do you want?"

"I need you for two hours." She said.

"Oh, fantastic! I've been think..."

"House, in the clinic!" She said, but couldn't resist a smile.

"You want me in the clinic? Wow, kinky! Which room?" He asked as he quickly grabbed his cane and stood up.

"There's a patient I want you to see."

"Oh, really? Is she _hot_?"

"Actually, yes, she is. She has a fever of 102.9, profuse sweating, sensitivity to light and sore throat." Cuddy answered.

"Wow, sounds like the flu to me."

"No, she has a lesion."

That last symptom is what stopped House in his tracks. "Lead the way, Dr. Cuddy." House said as they walked out of his office. Doctors Cuddy and House walked into the exam room where an 11 year-old girl lay on the exam table. Her mother sat in a chair at the foot of the table.

"Hi, Madison, Mrs. Mitchell. This is Dr. House, the one I told you about." Dr. Cuddy said as Mrs. Mitchell stood up to shake House's hand.

"Madison, how are you feeling?" Dr. House asked.

"I"m cold, and I have a headache." She said weakly.

"How long has she had the fever?" House asked as he felt her glands on her neck.

"Off and on for the past week. But she had the lesion on her thigh about a week and a half."

"I see. Are there any more lesions on her body?"

"No, not that I saw." Her mother answered.

"okay. Is your neck stiff, Madison?" Dr. House asked.

"No, sir." She answered.

"How about nauseau or vomiting?"

"No, neither." Her mom answered.

"okay." Dr. House said as he walked toward the door.

"Dr. House, what are you going to do?" Dr. Cuddy asked him as he walked through the door.

"Admit her." He said. House walked into the conference room, where Foreman, Chase and Rog were sitting at the table.

"okay! We have a winner!" House said as he wrote on the white board: 'MADISON-11 yrs old, 102.9, profuse sweating, photophobia, sore throat, chills, headache'

"What's wrong with her?" House asked. Chase sat up in his chair while Rog and Foreman leaned across the table to look at the board.

"Is she vomiting?" Rog asked.

House rolled his eyes and looked at the board. He pointed the marker to each symptom he wrote, then said, "Nope, not written down."

"Chickenpox? Chase suggested.

"Nope, had them when she was 6...next?"

"Boutonneuse fever?"

"Hmmm, similar symptoms. Possible." House wrote that under 'CAUSE'

"Has she been out of the country?" Rog asked.

"Don't know. Ask the mom. Anything else?" No one answered.

"Okay, let's start with a lumbar puncture and check for meningitis. Foreman, you do that. And take newbie with you. Oh, Chase? Get blood to check the Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and electrolyte levels along with liver function." The three doctors left the room to see the patient. House went to his office and turned on the t.v. to General Hospital. But he wasn't interested in the show. He kept thinking about Stacy, and the baby, and Mark, and his parents' visit, and Cameron, and Cuddy...he reached into his pocket and popped 'one more than normal Vicodin.'

House is sitting in front of the t.v. in a living room of a house he'd never been in before. It was a two story home with completely different furnishings than his apartment. He heard children's screams in the backyard and footsteps coming down the hallway. At first he was afraid they were the Purple Onion Monsters, but was relieved when he heard her voice.

"Hey, honey, are you ready to start the bbq?" She asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so." He said as he stood up. He walked down the hall like it wasn't his house, but he knew it was as soon as a little girl ran from the sliding glass door yelling "daddy! daddy!" at him and ran into his arms. He smiled and picked her up, twirling her.

"How's my little girl?" House said. He almost dropped her when he realized his leg didn't hurt. Well, the Vicodin always took care of that, but this was different. There was no pain. Not even a little tingle of pain. And, most importantly, there was no limp. He walked out into the backyard and saw Wilson with Sarah and the most adorable little blonde boy playing with another boy.

"Honey?" She asked him.

"Yeah?" House answered.

"Did I ever tell you that I LUV my name? Mrs. Dr. Stacy House House HOuse HOUSE!" House jerked awake and almost fell out of his chair. Foreman, Chase and Rog were standing in front of him.

"Were you having a dream about steak, Sir?" Rog asked.

"Uh, no, yeah, oh, never mind. What did you find?" House asked, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

"okay, all the tests we did were normal, well, the blood work is normal, too, after the second vial." Chase said.

"What do you mean 'second vial?' House asked.

"Sir, I dropped the first vial of blood, and I apologize for that." Rog said.

House looked at him in disbelief. He couldn't even smile at that. _'Moron.' _House thought to himself.

"She's never been out of the country, so her mother says." Chase said sarcastically.

"Why did you say it like that?" House asked.

"I think she's hiding something." Chase said.

"Was her mother in the room?" House asked. Foreman nodded his head.

"okay, looks like I'll have to get my boxing gloves on to get the truth out of her." House said as he stood up.

"House, she's just a little girl." Foreman said.

"Oh, do you think 11 year-olds don't lie? Oh, please." House said as he walked out of his office. He approached Madison Mitchell's room and thankfully her mother wasn't in the room. He slid open the door and walked to her bed.

"Hi, Madison. How are you feeling?"

"A little better." She said.

"Good. Glad to hear it. Do you know what I used to do when I was your age?" House asked. Her face lit up.

"Wha?" She asked.

"Well, after school, I'd go down to the creek behind our house and look for frogs and tadpoles. Have you ever done that?"

"No, sir, I haven't, but Ritchie and Kevin have." She smiled.

"Oh, cool! What do you do after school?"

"Nothing." She answered, but House could tell she was lying.

"Nothing? I don't believe that. You have to have fun sometimes!" House said with a smile, trying to egg her on.

"Promise not to tell my mommy?" She asked.

"Yes, and I'll even pinkie swear!" House said as he reached out his hand to hers. She put her hand up, stuck her pinky out and they wrapped their fingers around the other's.

"okay, well, a couple of weeks ago, Ritchie and Kevin said they saw a rat go down a sewer, and dared me to go down and find." She whispered.

"Oh, really? And did you find it?"

"No, but I heard it...it echoed thru the tunnel. Ritchie and Kevin said they didn't think I'd do it, but I did it!" She said proudly.

"You sure did! Well, press the button right here..." House said as he picked up the remote on the bed rail "...if you need anything and your mommy isn't back yet, okay?"

"okay. You won't tell her, right?" She pleaded.

"No, sweetie, we pinkie swore, remember?" House said as he walked out the door. Madison grinned and settled under the covers.

House walked back to his office. The three doctors were still in the conference room looking over the symptoms and talking about what could have caused them. He limped to the board, erased them, under Chase's objections, and wrote: '_Allodermanyssus sanguineus'_

"Are you kidding me, House? A mite from a mouse? Rickettsialpox? That's a far stretch, isn't it?" Chase said.

"No, it's not. Not when she just happened to pretend she was a rat and went through a couple of sewer tunnels with her friends." House said smuggly. "Check her blood for that, and when it comes back positive, start her on antibiotics."

_'At least it's not life-threatening.' _He thought as he sat in his chair and the three left his office. House surprised himself at how easy he found it to talk to Madison. He could do it. He could be a good father. He _knew_ he could.


	4. Chapter 4

LostFan4Ever: Thanks for your comments. :o) I'm really glad you like the story.

Mixy/Prinnie:Is Prinnie your personality number 2? I've not met her before. :o) I'll chat w/cha later.

Ok, y'all...I'll post one chapter a day for the next 15 days. How does that sound:o) And yes, I AM evil. :O)

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Later that night, Chase was at home when he got a call from Cameron.

"Hey, Allison? How's it going?" Chase asked when he picked up the phone.

"Better, thanks. I've been thinking about what happened…" She started to say.

"So have I."

"You know how I feel about House, but, I don't know, I was wondering…"

"Spill it, Allison, please." He begged.

"Will you go out with me Friday night?" She asked.

"I thought you'd never ask." He said. Chase smiled because he'd wanted to hear that for so long. He liked her from the first day she started working at the hospital. But House warned him to stay away from her. Chase never asked why. But, the way he felt about her, he couldn't stay away for long.

---House sat at his piano pounding out the most depressing Beethoven classical tune he could think of. It sounded like a death march of his Green Bean man after being killed by the Thousand Island dressing. He ended it with the Snoopy Christmas song. He took a little bow then downed the rest of the Scotch.

'_One more day before Hell Day.'_ He thought to himself. _'Maybe I'll get Chase to go drinking with me tomorrow night. I don't think Wilson could get permission to leave the hospital just to have a few drinks with me. Few? Try ten.' _He chuckled. Then he belted out the Margarita song.

The next morning, Foreman and Cameron sat in the conference room waiting for House. It was 10:30. He wasn't supposed to be there until noon, but they had learned to keep themselves busy.

"Cameron, how have you been holding up?" Foreman asked her.

"Ok. How are things with you and Michelle?"

"She wants to move in."

"That's great!"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for that or not."

"Not ready for what?" Chase asked as he walked in the room.

"Foreman's getting married." Cameron teased.

"Knock it off, Cameron." Foreman fussed back.

House walked into the conference in a grumpy mood. Well, grumpier than normal. He went directly to the coffee machine, grabbed the whole pot and took it to his office. Foreman couldn't help but grin. The three continued to sit there until he got brave enough to go to House's office.

"Can't you see the 'do not disturb' sign on my door?" House snapped.

"No, but I see it on your forehead. It's always there, though." Foreman answered.

"You want a case all day tomorrow with me?" House asked.

"Sure, that's fine. What kind of case is it?"

"I don't know yet. Don't have one."

Foreman shook his head. "Come to think of it, I think already have another case." Foreman said.

"What kind of case?"

"I don't know yet. Don't have one." Foreman answered then walked out into the hallway.

'_Now would be a good time to see Wilson. I haven't seen him since yesterday at noon.'_ House said to himself as he grabbed his cane and walked out into the hall.

When House walked into Wilson's room, he was sitting in a wheelchair talking to a little boy. Sarah was there, and an older woman.

"House, I'd like you to meet Charlie!" Wilson said, almost screaming. Charlie turned to see who his daddy was talking to then he looked at Housethen at his cane then frowned.

"Hi, Greg. This is my mom, Laura." Sarah said.

"Nice to meet you." Laura said. House simply nodded his head. House looked at the boy and immediately saw the resemblance to Wilson.

"Whus dat for?" Charlie asked, pointing to House's cane.

"A big, gigantic elephant stepped on my foot and broke all my toes!" House teased. Charlie's eyes got real big. Sarah and Laura smiled, but Wilson looked at House suspiciously.

'_What's gotten into him?_' Wilson thought to himself.

"Well, Charlie, we have to get back, now. Mommy needs to lie down. Say goodbye to Dr. House." Sarah said. Charlie put his little hands on Wilson's knees and gave him as big of a hug as he could without hurting him. Then he walked to House and looked up at him.

"You so taaall!" He said then walked out the door. Laura and Sarah followed him out.

"Ok, what was that all about?" Wilson asked House as he wheeled himself to the window.

"What was what all about?"

"Elephant?" Wilson asked. House just grinned. "Since when do you talk to anyone shorter than you?"

"Uh, since Stacy told me she was pregnant with my baby."

Wilson looked at House in shock and disbelief. "She wha…you wha…baby?" Wilson stammered

"Who the man? I the man!" House said.

"I wouldn't be joking about something like that if I were you." Wilson said. House shook his head and sat in a chair.

"Do you really think Mark is going to believe that it's his baby? House, he's sterile. They've known for two years now. Mark isn't stupid."

"Yes, he is." House said.

"How so?"

"He'd believe anything Stacy told him, even if it was against all medical odds. She said she slept with him that night, too; that was the first time they'd be together since the accident, and the last."

"What are you going to do?" House just stared at him blankly. There was only one person he needed to talk to, and she wasn't going to like it.

Later that afternoon, after putting off seeing her the whole day, he finally got the courage to go talk to Cuddy. He opened her door and went straight to her desk.

"You have a minute?" House asked seriously.

"Sure. I need a break, anyway."

"Actually…" House said as he looked at his watch. "How about dinner? My treat." House said.

She looked at him cautiously. "Your treat? Ok, you're scaring me. What did you do now?"

"Nothing, besides pay for dinner. Now, come on." He said as he reached for her coat and handed it to her. She took it but kept her eyes on him as they walked out of her office.

"Wait, I need my helmet." House said.

"No, you don't. I'm not going on your bike in 40 degree weather in this skirt." Cuddy protested.

He just grinned at her and opened the door from the lobby. A short time later they were seated in a cozy little Italian Restaurant, Italiano Pistora, eating breadsticks and garlic butter. Just as the waiter brought their drinks, Cuddy asked, "So, is it true?" House almost choked on his Scotch when she asked that.

"Good, grief, Greg! I thought I was the one who was supposed to choke from you buying dinner, which I still have to see to believe."

House wiped his chin and shirt dramatically as if he'd spilled it all over him. "Uh, yeah, I'm buying." He answered, with a little grin.

"Cu…Lisa, where do you see us going?" House finally said.

"What do you mean? I thought the woman was supposed to ask that." Cuddy smiled but House didn't smile. "Greg, what do you mean?" He hesitated a moment trying to find the right words as he took his time checking out every person in the restaurant to kill time.

"Lisa, last week, us." House mumbled.

"Ohh, ok. That's what you meant. You have been a real terror the past year, but I have seen some changes in you. Good ones. Positive. I'd like to take it slow and see where we go with it. I know you like to rush things, bu…" The waiter interrupted her when he brought their plates over. They both sat in silence eating but more because neither one wanted to talk, not because they were actually hungry.

"Greg, why did you really bring me here? I know there's more to it." Cuddy prompted House.

He sighed, took a sip of his drink and said, "Stacy's pregnant."

She looked at him blankly. "That's great! I know they'd wan…wait. He's sterile. Greg?" House bit his lip, downed the rest of the scotch, ordered another, and looked directly at her.

"Did you two…you didn't. You DID! When?"

"Four months ago."

"I see. So, all this was to tell me you knocked her up, good riddance, Lisa! You kiss Cameron, sleep with me, get another woman preg…You ba…"

"Lisa, stop it. No, that's not true! Not at all!" House said as Cuddy stood up, tore her coat away from the back of the chair and stormed out of the restaurant. House quickly stood up, grabbed his cane, threw enough money on the table to cover the food, but not the tip and limped out. As the door closed behind him, he looked to his right and saw Cuddy at a fast run to her car.

"Lisa! Hold up! LISA!" House screamed and went after her. She had just put the keys in the car when House grabbed her elbow and forced her to turn around.

"Lisa, listen to me…please! I wanted to know if you thought we'd have a chance because Stacy is still leaving!" Cuddy hadn't looked him in the face as he spoke, but she did when he'd said that. She looked at him for more explanation.

"Lisa, she's going to tell Mark it's his. And they're still leaving. She wants nothing from me. But I finally got that she doesn't love me enough to be with me and raise our baby together. That's why I wanted to talk to you. Lisa, I want to be with you. I wanted to know how you felt about us. Because, if you don't think we'd work out…"

"You'd what?" She said sarcastically. House inadvertently burped and spewed garlic breath all in Cuddy's face, and they couldn't help but laugh.

"I'd do that." House said, then put his arms around her waist and leaned into her, with her back against the car, and her arms went around his waist as well.

"What would you do if I think we will work out?" Cuddy asked with a teasing grin.

"I'd do thissss…" He said as he brought his mouth to her neck and did a raspberry.

"EEwww..stop! You're g…" House planted his lips on hers and gave her a long, deep, passionate kiss. He heard her moan from her throat. And he knew he had her. She was his.

House had just opened the door to his apartment when the phone rang. He hesitated to answer it at first, but then picked it up.

"Hi, Greg, it's Mom."

"Hi, Mom."

"Dad and I are leaving tomorrow at 7:30. We should be there by noon. Is that ok?" House closed his eyes as he pushed the mouthpiece away from his mouth.

"Yeah, fine."

"Ok, we'll call when we get to the airport."

"Ok." House put the receiver back in the cradle.

"You didn't say your parents were coming in!" Cuddy said as she sat on the couch. House took off his jacket and sat on the recliner. You never did introduce them to anyone when they were here a while ago."

"They met Cameron when they were on their way to Europe."

"Oh, I see. Well, don't bother coming in tomorrow, okay?" House frowned as he looked at her.

"Oh, but boss! I wanna work! Pleeeeeeez!" He whined, with a smile on his face.

"No! You may _not_ work tomorrow. And if you come in, I'll fire you."

"Great! What time will you be in?" House said excitedly.

"As soon as we get up in the morning." She answered then stood up and walked to him, sitting on the knee of his good leg.

"And what time will that be?" He asked.

"It depends on how well I can tire you out!" She said wickedly and kissed him.

The next morning, Cuddy rolled over in House's bed and was startled awake by him screaming and cursing.

"Wha? What is it?" Cuddy asked.

"You kicked my leg! Da…Sh…oooooooohhh!" He moaned.

"Greg, I'm sooo sorry! What ca…" A huge smile spread over his face and he grabbed her and pulled her on top of him.

"That was mean!" Cuddy said as she laughed.

"Hey, when you leave, can you start a pot of coffee?" House asked.

"No, because you have to get up and meet your folks. That will be the incentive you need to get out of bed in the first place!" She said after she pulled herself off of him, stood up and put on her blouse and skirt.

"I have just enough time to go home and change. You know how rumors get started around in that place." She said as she leaned over him and kissed him.

House watched her leave his bedroom. He barely caught himself from saying 'I love you,' which wouldn't have been so bad. But he just couldn't say it. Couldn't bring himself to say it. He could, and he has, but not yet. But he will. He rolled back over, grabbed the pillow hugged it.

Back at the hospital, Stacy was in her office packing up her things when Cuddy walked in.

"I can't believe you are really leaving." Cuddy said with a little tone. Stacy stopped in mid-packing.

"Yeah, I don't know why I even thought it would be a good idea to work here. I must have been crazy."

"No, just hopeful." Cuddy answered.

"Hopeful of what?"

"Thinking it would work. I'm sorry it was difficult for you." Cuddy said.

"It was just as difficult for him. I didn't make it easy for him, either. You want this?" Stacy asked, pointing to a plant on her desk.

"Sure, I can't kill vines, but I kill everything else." Cuddy laughed as she took the pot from her.

"You and Mark will be there at Shenanigan's on Friday, right?" Cuddy asked.

"Definitely."

"Ok, let me know if there's anything you need, Stacy."

"Of course, thanks, Lisa." Cuddy nodded her head and left her office.

House was in his apartment getting things just a little cleaned up for his parents. His mom called an hour ago from the airport to say they'd be by within the hour. He didn't eat breakfast, he couldn't eat. His stomach was in knots. He hadn't even fallen back asleep after Cuddy left. Worst of all, the Vicodin didn't kick in soon enough, but luckily he dropped the dictionary (about 500 pages thick) on his left toe. Well, at least it took care of the pain in his leg.

The doorbell rang. He took in a deep breath and tried to forget to exhale. It didn't work. He heard the doorbell again. He slowly walked to the door and opened it.

"Hi, Greg! It's good to see you again!" Mom said as she hugged him. House tried to avoid looking at his father as he squeezed beside them to enter.

"I see you've cleaned, son." Dad said with a little tone in his voice. House just looked at his dad then at the floor.

_'Never a nice word.' _House thought to himself. _'I think he thinks he'll keel over and die if he says something nice.'_

"Mom, can I get you some coffee...dad?" House asked as he took his parents' coats and hung them in the hall closet.

"That'd be nice, yes, thanks." Mom said. House nodded his head as his dad picked up their suitcases and took them to the spare bedroom.

"Greg, can you get Mom's duffle bag? Last time I checked you had one good arm and leg and can still walk." House felt the sting of his dad's words hit him upside the head. He looked at his mom; she shook her head as if to say, 'son, don't start anything.' He put the cane on the chair, picked up the bag and limped slowly to the bedroom.

"See, that wasn't so tough, was it?" Dad said. House put the bag on the floor by the suitcases and immediately walked out.

"This was made this morning. I hope it's still fresh enough for you."

"Just heat it up in the microwave. It'll be fine." Mom said as she stood in the doorway.

"You make coffee, too? Wow, I'm impressed." Dad hollered from the living room. House dropped the sugar bowl on the counter and sugar went all over the counter.

"Honey, I'll get it. Go in and talk to your father."

"I'd rather have a root canal, with _no_ Novocain." He retorted.

"Greg, stop it. He hasn't been feel..."

"I don't care, Mom." House whispered. "He hasn't said _one_ nice thing to me since he walked through that door. You'd think I'd be used to it by now."

"That's not true. He noticed you cleaned." House couldn't help but grin at his mother. It was just like her - make light of a serious situation.

"No, he just said that because it wasn't clean enough…Ok, here's your coffee. Dad, you want some?"

"Sure, two sugars, little cream." House rolled his eyes. _'I'm 46 years old and he still doesn't think I know how he likes his coffee.' _

He thought to himself. He and his Mom walked into the living room and sat down. House was so tense he swore his hand was shaking so badly the coffee would spill in his lap.

"How was your flight?" House asked, just because he couldn't think of anything else to think of to ask.

"Terrible, just terrible. There was an hour wait through security, then someone was in our seats, then there was a lot of turbulence, then we had to wait on the runway for 45 minutes before we got cleared, then..." House blocked Dad out at this point. Usually when there were more than three 'then's', he knew when not to listen.

"It was fine, dear." Mom said, trying to calm the situation.

"You still play that rackety ole' thing? I don't know why you keep that big thing in this small apartment."

House put his head in his hand and closed his eyes, rubbing his temple. _'I'm getting a migraine already? That's a record, I think.' _

"You have a headache? I've got..." Mom started to say.

"No, no, Mom. I'm fine. Will you excuse me?" House said as he stood up and went to the bathroom. He ran cold water over his face, even though he'd washed it 30 minutes ago. He didn't know how much more of his father he could take. He took out the bottle of Vicodin and popped more than he'd ever taken. He wasn't quite sure how it was going to affect him, but he didn't care. He took a deep breath and walked back into the living room.

"So, how's that girl you introduced us to when we were here before, Greg? She seems so sweet." Mom asked.

"Fine."

"I don't think it's sweet you need, Greg. You need someone who's going to kick you in the ass when you need it, which is pretty often." Dad snorted. House tried to hide the hurt in his eyes but Mom caught it. She nudged Dad with her elbow, hard.

"Have you two eaten? There's a good restaurant down the street." House suggested, hoping to have just them go.

"We had the nasty airplane food and I got heartburn an..." Dad complained.

"Dad, will you _stop_! God! You have done nothing but complain since you got here! Would you just shut UP!" House shouted. He immediately realized what he said and wished he could take them back, sort of.

"Gregory, don't you EVER talk to me like that again!" Dad screamed back as he stood up as if he were going to tackle his son.

"Son, I think we'd better go get some food in your father's stomach. What's the name of that restaurant?" Mom asked.

"We come to see our son and he can't even cook us a meal? I didn't raise you to treat us like that, Gregory!" Dad said as he took a step closer to House.

"Dad, sit down, please." House begged, trying to control not hitting Dad.

"Oh, and now you're telling us what to do?" Dad screamed.

House's head began to swirl so bad it felt like it was going to roll right off his shoulders. His face felt flush and he started to sweat. He laid his head back on the chair and closed his eyes, but it only made his dizziness worse.

"Greg, honey, what's wrong? You're pale as a gho...oh, God! His eyes are rolling in the back of his head! Call 911!" Mom screamed.

The paramedics rushed Dr. Greg House into the E.R. with a possible heart attack. Cuddy and Stacy met them in the E.R. room while he was being assessed. Stacy had her hands on her face trying to hold back tears and Cuddy was upset, but calm. His parents were forced to wait outside. Mom House was hysterical; she was yelling at Dad House saying 'it was all his fault...he'd killed their son...'

"Patient is unresponsive; B.P. is 105 over 60, heart palpitation, breathing slow and thready, small pupils, skin cold and clammy." One paramedic said to the doctors and nurses in the room as they picked him up off the gurney onto the exam table.

"What medications is he on?" The Dr. Jackson asked.

"I'm Dr. Cuddy. Dr. House has been taking Vicodin/Hydocosone, 10mg/660."

"How many times a day?"

"About 50mg, I believe." Cuddy answered, but she knew it was more.

"Ok. Let's pump his stomach. I want his liver and kidneys checked for possible acetaminophen toxicity, and give him Rhythamine to...he's seizing! Turn him over! 10cc's epinephrine!" Dr. Jackson screamed urgently.

Several nurses turned him over on his side and put a rubber tong in his mouth to keep him from biting his tongue. Dr. Jackson had to remove it when he vomited on the table and floor. His seizure slowly subsided.

"Get a breathing tube in him, but watch for vomiting! 5cc's Rhythamine to get his B.P. up. Ok, get blood."

Several hours later, House lay on a hospital bed with an oxygen mask and a heart monitor on. His parents had been by his side since they wheeled him in to the room. Dr. Cuddy had just left to let everyone know how he was. She walked into the conference where Foreman, Chase, Cameron and Stacy sat around the table. Their faces worn, tired faces all looked up at her as she walked in.

"How is he?" They seemed to ask all at once.

"His breathing is better and his B.P. is up. There is slight liver damage and no kidney failure. He's going to be fine." She told them.

"No, he's not! He's going to _kill_ himself! I'm surprised he hasn't already." Stacy said a bit too loud.

"I've spoken with the board. He's officially on medical leave. If he wants to continue working here, he has to go through rehab. It's the only way, and it'll save his life. I knew this was going to happen. It was just a matter of time."

"Has anyone told Wilson?" Chase asked.

"Hell, no! That's the last thing he needs." Cameron said.

"Well, he has a right to know." Foreman said. "I'll go tell him."

"Want me to go with you?" Chase asked him. Cameron leaned against Chase for support.

"No, no. I can do this." Foreman said as he walked out the door.

"I've got to go back and see him. I'll keep you all posted." Cuddy said and followed Foreman out the door.

---House lay in bed, still unconscious. His parents just walked out to get something to eat in the cafeteria. Cuddy walked into the room and checked the monitors; they were all fine. He was still on the oxygen mask because his breathing wasn't strong yet.

_'Greg...oh, Greg. You idiot! Why did you take more than you had to? I just got you. I don't want to lose you now.'_ Cuddy thought to herself as she leaned over the bedrail and kissed him on the cheek. She laid her head on his shoulder and cried hard. Harder than she'd ever cried. Well, except for when her father died. But she couldn't go through another death. Not her Greg.

"Greg, don...leeev meee..." Cuddy cried. Her head jerked up when she felt his right hand on her head. His eyes were still closed but he had a slight grin on his face.

"...hmmmph...hey..." House muttered.

"Oh, Greg! I thought you were...ohhh..." She started crying again but it was a cry of relief.

"Carm...you're get...my sheees wet..." He mumbled.

Cuddy giggled a little and kissed him. "Don't you ever do that again, you hear me!"

"...Mommm..."

"They're downstairs getting something to eat."

"Don...et...Dad...ba..." House started to say but then had to swallow.

"You don't want your dad back in here, baby? Ok, ok. I'll see what I can do."

"No...noo..I don't...no..."

"Get some sleep. It'll be alright. I'll help you through this. You're not alone anymore, baby." She said as she rubbed her nose against his cheek.

"Leee...a..."

"Yes, baby?"

"...uuuv ewe.." House whispered, then closed his eyes and slept.

---Foreman walked into Wilson's room and he was sitting up in the bed, looking at a photo album.

"Hey, Wilson! How's it going?"

"Great! I'll be out of here tomorrow, but won't be to work for another couple of weeks. Hey, I want you to see these. They're pictures of my son, Charlie."

Foreman's eyes bugged out and his eyebrows raised. "Really? I thought you didn't have any kids."

"Neither did I, but apparently I do." Wilson said proudly as Foreman looked at a few pictures.

"Wilson, I've got some...something's come up." Foreman started.

Wilson wasn't alarmed until he saw Foreman's face. "What is it?" He asked as he closed the album.

"It's House. He was admitted a few hours ago with acetaminophen toxicity. Those damn pills finally got the best of him."

"Is he alright?" Wilson asked, alarmed.

"Yes, thank God. Slight liver damage, but he's fine."

"Good. I'm not surpri..."

"Well, it seems he had taken more than he should have. He doesn't know it, but he's on a suicide watch." Foreman told Wilson.

Later that night, House lay in bed with a headache, swollen eyes that he could barely keep open and sick to his stomach. He'd been awake just a few minutes, but he wanted to go back to sleep, forever.

"Greg, honey, you awake?" Mom asked as she stood at the foot of the bed, but he pretended he didn't hear her. He was afraid of hearing his father's voice, too.

"Please try to understand your father. I don't know how much more I can take being in the middle of you two bull-headed m…"

House couldn't take it anymore. He rolled over on his back and looked at his mom. She had tears in her eyes, and he couldn't stand to see her cry. He'd only seen her cry twice before; once when he was a kid, and the other when she'd seen him after the infarction.

"Mom, what are you doing here so late?" House asked.

"I bribed a nurse." She said then wiped her eyes. "Dad's hom…"

"Don't, pleee…I try to deal with him, I really do, but sometimes…"

"I don't want to talk about his now. But I don't understand why you took so many."

"I don't either, Mom. I don't know." House said as he closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

---The next morning, Sarah was helping Wilson get his things together to go back to her place. Julie had made arrangements to have his things brought to her place. Julie hated Wilson for what he did, and she'd had enough, but she also loved him enough to ease up on him while he was recovering.

"Have you seen Greg, yet, honey?" Sarah asked him as she helped him put his shirt on over his arms and head.

"No." He simply answered. By his short answer and tone of voice, she remembered when not to press Wilson too much. An attendant walked into his room with a wheelchair to take him to sign himself out. He didn't say a word when he slowly sat down and they left the room.

"Wait, can we make a stop, first?" Wilson asked the attendant.

"I'm not a cab driver, Dr. Wilson!" He teased, but nodded his head.

"Sarah, can you wait here for just a moment?"

"Of course." She answered with a smile; she knew what he needed to do. So Wilson headed down the hall to the elevator.

When Wilson was wheeled into House's room at just after 10a.m., House sat at the window staring out. His headache had gone away but now his ears were constantly ringing. He turned around when he heard the squeak from Wilson's wheelchair.

"I'll be back in five minutes, Dr. Wilson." The attendant said and left the room.

"How ya…wow, you look like hell." Wilson cut himself off.

"Thanks." House answered as he grabbed onto the side table, bounced up as he reached for the bedrail and sat down. His face contorted from the pain in his leg; they wouldn't allow him pain medication of any sort, and it caused him to get no more than an hour-long sleep.

"House, what's going on?" Wilson asked.

"I'm leaving this afternoon for rehab." House said solemnly, almost in a whisper, out of shame.

"Ah, ok. That'll be good for you."

House looked up at him. "Wilson, I can't do this. I can…" House said as tears built up in his eyes.

"There will be plenty of support for you there."

"Shut up." House screamed bluntly.

"You know, I didn't deserve that, House." Wilson snapped back.

"Shut up!" He repeated.

"I wish you luck, old man. You'll need it." Wilson said nastily as he put tried to push the wheels back but the pain surged through his body. Just then the attendant walked in and wheeled him out of the room.

House sat on the bed regretting was he'd said. But the pain in his leg was unbearable, and he knew it was only going to get worse. Oh, not the pain in his leg; the fact that he'd have to say goodbye to Stacy. Stacy sat in her empty office, at her empty desk, staring at her empty wall. Her heart felt as empty as the room. She felt like she was committing the ultimate betrayal against House; not because he'd almost killed himself with the Vicodin and she never tried to stop him, but because she wasn't allowing him to have the opportunity to see his child grow up.

'_This is better for him.'_ Stacy thought to herself.

"Yes, it is." Cuddy said as she'd walked in the room but Stacy hadn't noticed, or realized she'd said it out loud.

"Lisa, is this difficult for you?" Stacy asked.

"Harder than anything I have ever done before." She answered. But she couldn't think of anything else to say. Cuddy didn't want Stacy to know she knew about their baby.

"Why is it that we have to be around him during the most difficult time of his life? When he's the most miserable?" Cuddy asked.

"Because it'll test your love for him." Stacy answered. Cuddy looked up at her in surprise. She wasn't expecting that.

"But Stacy, you loved him. What do you mean 'test my love for him?'"

"Oh, there were days before his leg that I loved him. Then on days when I hated him I'd want to punch the daylights out of him. Then after his leg, it was the same thing. It was such a rollercoaster ride. But he's too stubborn. He never changed, and I always thought he would."

"Stacy, I think we've all made that same mistake at one time or another."

"Oh, and there will be plenty more. When you wake up next to him and watch him sleep, he can look like an angel. Then another day you see him when he's awake and he looks like the devil himself. I hope you can handle him better than I did." Cuddy looked at Stacy confused because she hadn't realized Stacy knew about her and House.

"It's ok, Lisa. I knew. I saw the way you were with him last night. I'm happy for you, happy for Greg. I hope you have a lot of patience because the road ahead of him is going to be a long one."

Cuddy nodded. "I know that. And I will try, to be good to him. Good for him."

"Well," Stacy said as she looked at her watch. "He should be leaving soon. We should say goodbye."

"You go first. I'm seeing him to the rehab center." Cuddy told Stacy. Stacy nodded her head and walked out of the door. Cuddy threw herself on the back of the couch hard and prayed. Just a quick one. For Greg…_her_ Greg.

Stacy walked into Greg's room and he had changed into jeans and an AC/DC sweatshirt. His face was drawn, tired, his eyes black and she could see the pain in his eyes. Stacy couldn't think of anything 'right' to say.

He looked up at her like a little boy about to get his first haircut. "Hey." House said.

"Hi. I remember that concert." She said as she walked to the bed. "Came to say goodbye."

"Oh, thought you came for a quickie before they shipped me off to the dawgs." House said without a smile.

"Greg, I'm sorry you have to go through this, but you are not alone. Everyone here is behind you 100."

"Oh, yeah, they're lined up to watch me wheel out of here then have a huge party afterward."

"Greg, seriously, I want you to be happy. You'll get through this. You never gave up on me when you chased after me, did you?" She said with a little smile on her face.

He nodded his head. "Stacy?"

"Yeah?"

"Be good to that baby, ok? Will you ever come back?" House said staring at the blanket on the bed and fiddling with his socked toe.

"Of course I will. We will. I promise." She reassured him.

"Greg?"

"Huh?"

"Be good to Lisa, ok?" Stacy said as she walked toward him. "Remember I care about you." She reached her hand up and put it on his right chin and cheek. He didn't look at her. He couldn't. He felt the tears brim in his eyes and he couldn't let her see them. When he did get the courage to look at her, a single tear fell down his cheek. She leaned in and brushed her cheek against his to get the tear. She closed her eyes.

"I love you, Greg." She whispered. He felt her chest heave a bit as if she were holding back a breakdown cry. When he opened his eyes she was staring at him.

"Goodbye, Stacy." House said under his breath.

"No, Greg. See you later." She corrected him. He nodded and watched her walk out the door.

Is Stacy out of his life for good? Will she be returning? How will House cope being in rehab?

Join in to Chapter 5...same HOUSE WEBSITE...same HOUSE MYSTERIES... :o)


	5. Chapter 5

Lots of time flies here in this chapter. But what kind of adventures does House get in THIS time?

**CHAPTER FIVE**

Two weeks had gone by since Dr. Greg House left the hospital to enter Princeton-Clarkston Rehab Center, involuntarily. He had spent the past two days in bed with straps on his wrists because earlier he tried to knock a nurse down and run out. At the time, House was so out of it he'd forgotten about the pain in his leg until he took five steps then collapsed on the cold, hard tile floor. He had an I.V. in his arm for fluids and intravenous feedings because he refused to eat or drink anything for almost a week. He was hysterical and hallucinating, and his body was constantly drenched from the sweat of his body flushing out the Vicodin.

The rehab's psychiatrist, Dr. Stafford, had little faith that House would pull through. He had attempted counseling House on more than one occasion, but those turned out to be nothing but hour-long sessions of Stafford being cursed by, threatened by and humiliated by House. He was even refused his cane to walk with because that was considered 'a deadly weapon.' In the hands of any recovering alcoholic or drug addict it was. So, House didn't walk around at all.

The others at the hospital were doing the best they could with House gone: Dr. Cuddy hadn't been by to see House at all. She didn't think she could handle seeing him like he was when he tried to detoxify himself earlier in the year. But it was hard for her. She cried every night and held the pillow he'd used the last night they were together.

Chase and Cameron had been out a few times, but there didn't seem to be much working between them, in the relationship department. The sex department was a different story. She liked that he supported her, but he was a little too 'serene' for her. She liked unpredictability, and she knew him a little too well now. Chase loved everything about Cameron, and it took a few days for him to realize how quiet she had gotten since House had been away. He thought maybe it was just because of the loss of their baby, or worrying about the HIV test, but that was Chase's style. Stay calm, panic later.

Foreman and Michelle, on the other hand, were doing fabulously! Michelle moved in a week prior and everything was going smoothly. He loved having Michelle in his bed when he woke up in the mornings. Life couldn't be better than this.

---Wilson and Sarah were doing great, too. Sarah did a lot of rearranging of their furniture and such while Wilson slowly recuperated. Little Charlie was at his Grandma Laura's house for the first weekend they were together. Wilson hadn't mentioned the divorce to Julie and Sarah never asked any questions. She liked it better that way. She knew he would come around when he was ready.

---Mom and Dad House, of course, went back home because Dad had stuff to do. Mom wanted to see her son before they flew back out but Dad refused. Mom didn't talk to her husband for two weeks. Her husband had finally pushed her too far.

---Christmas and New Year's came and went, with not much change to anyone. Well, there was a little change in House. He had started to eat, which was a good thing. He had started to talk to the counselor, his attitude improved greatly and he stopped threatening other patients, which were also good things. But he wasn't resolving any issues about his Dad, which was a bad thing. Dr. Stafford thought it would be a good idea to get House into a group therapy meeting. He thought by hearing others' issues it would help him come to terms with his own.

It was a Monday afternoon in Dr. Stafford's office. There was a 21 year-old, overweight woman who slit her wrists, a thin, bald man about 55 years old, a 26 year-old male with tattoos up and down his arms then there was House. He sat in the back behind the others, looking at the back of a chair and not saying a word or looking at anyone.

"Melissa, why don't you start?" Dr. Stafford asked her.

"I'm here because I…uh…tried to slit my wrists. My parents were alcoholics, and I moved out when I was 16 into my boyfriend's house. He was 26, we did cocaine, my boyfriend ended up in prison and I was raped. I'm HIV positive now and I just did it. And it didn't hurt. I saw the blood ooze from the vein in my wrist but I didn't feel it. How's that, Dr. Stafford?" She said fast as the syllables ran into each other.

"Pretty good, Melissa, but you never said why you did it."

She sat and stared at him, trying to think of an answer that would appease him. "Because I wanted to see if I could."

"Could what? Cut yourself just to feel pain or bleed to death?" House found himself saying.

Melissa quickly turned around and glared at him, but noticed there was something there…in him…about him. She turned back around at Dr. Stafford and looked at the floor.

"Bleed, but not to die. I wanted the cocaine out of me. I wanted to start over. I didn't want to end up like Jack." She finally admitted.

"Good, Melissa, very good." Dr. Stafford said.

"Kyle, what about you?" Dr. Stafford asked the younger male with the tattoos. He sat in his chair with his arms crossed and stared at the clock. He seemed oblivious to the Dr. He decided it'd be best to skip Kyle for now.

"David, would you like to talk now?" The Dr. asked the older man.

"I have a drinking problem, on top of gambling, and sex." David stated as if he'd practiced the line over and over in his head.

"Wow, I'd be in seventh heaven if I have your problems." House blurted.

"Ok, Greg, why don't you share something about yourself with us, since you seem to like everyone else's problems so much." Dr. Stafford said impatiently. The others turned around to look at him except Kyle.

"I don't have any problems." House said. He shot a look at David who grunted under his breath.

"What's wrong with you? Have a hot date you need to get to?" House said sarcastically.

"Greg, that's enough." Dr. Stafford warned House. "I will not tolerate this in my office with other patients."

"Ok, then how about this?" House said as he stood up, leaned against the back of Melissa's chair, picked up his own and threw it out the window. Dr. Stafford quickly pressed a button as House hopped to the wall by the door and stared at them. Two medical guards came in to sedate House and send him back to his room, which was no easy task.

"I want to apologize, David, Melissa, Kyle. I guess I should have known better than bring him in." Dr. Stafford said then continued with his meeting. As the patients left Dr. Stafford's room, he sat down behind his desk and opened Dr. Greg House's medical file. There was a lot to read and catch up on, but when he did, he thought he finally got a handle on where House was coming from. He picked up the phone and dialed Mom and Dad House's home phone number.

Two weeks went by and House still spent a lot of time in his room, in bed. He couldn't stand the pain in his leg, on top of the chills and his body shaking so badly. One day, Melissa stopped by his room.

"Hey, thought you'd need some company, Greg." She said. House didn't respond. "I'll play a round of golf with you when you get out of here. I know you doctors have lots of free time on your hands."

"What do you want?" House snapped.

"I told you, for company. You got a problem with that?" She asked as she sat on the bed opposite House.

"Yeah, I got a problem with that."

"Well, tough. Because I ain't got nuttin else better to do, and apparently you don't either." House rolled over so that his back was to her.

"You got a girl?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He mumbled after a few minutes.

"Cool. She been to see you yet?"

House sighed. "No."

"Why not?" She asked.

"You ask a lot of questions, LizBeth." House heard himself say 'LizBeth' and froze. He had never done that before. Sure, he'd called out the wrong hookers' names but with hookers being hookers they don't usually care.

"Who's Lizbeth?" Melissa asked. House was quiet for a moment.

"My sister." He said.

"Oh, cool! I'm an only child. Has she been here to see you?"

"NO! Now go away." He barked.

"Uh, well, no, because dinner ain't for like another two hours and I don't wanna hang out in the lounge with those nerds. They're watching sports, and I _hate_ sports. Well, except golf. And I like birds. Know what my favorite color is?" She asked excitedly. House didn't say a word.

"Hey, you want some chocolate?" She asked. The word 'chocolate' got House's attention, and he slowly rolled over and looked at her, really looked at her for the first time. By the look in his eyes she could tell he wanted a chunk. She tore away four blocks and handed them to him. He nodded his head when he grabbed them.

"NO! Not yet! What do you say?" She teased.

"Uh, gimme?"

"Ok, close enough. But the magic word for today is, 'thanks!'" She said as she laughed. He put in two blocks at a time and let it melt in his mouth slowly. He'd never tasted anything as good as what he had in his mouth at that moment. He growled from his throat without realizing he did it.

"You welcome!" Melissa said. "So, when is your sister coming to see you?"

"She's not." He said as the last of the first block dissolved.

"Why not? She's not a very good sister, is she?"

"She's dead." He said solemnly. He was about to put the second block in his mouth when he seemed to lose his appetite when he mentioned his sister.

"Greg, I'm sorry. I just dunno when to keep my big mouth shut." House shook his head and handed the chocolate back to her.

"No, no. You keep it, in case of emergency, ok?" She said as she bounced up from the bed and headed for the door.

"Melissa?" House asked.

"Yeah?"

"What's your favorite color?"

"Purple!" She said with a smile.

"Ok, thanks." House said.

"Sure. Later, dude."

And House was left alone once again, to think. House knew there was a lot of anger he had toward his dad about the way he dealt with LizBeth's suicide. But he didn't know how to deal with it with his father.

FLASHBACK OF FIGHT WITH LIZBETH AND DAD_ --- _Liz is 12, House 18... In the words of House

'Man! I've got the prom with Peggy next week...haven't got a tux yet...the corsage...and I've got to study for finals. Oh, the heck with it for now.'

Greg pulls out a Playboy from under his mattress, lies on the bed and starts flipping pages, until he starts to smell something funny coming through the open window, then hears his father's voice.

"Elizabeth Ann House! What in God's name are you doing?"

"...nothing to do...the matches...counter...Greg left his model plane...yard."

"We've raised you better than this! There are _plenty_ of things you can do: Clean your room, do your homew…Don't you _dare_ roll your eyes at me young lady! Go to your room, NOW!"

Greg hears the front door close, foot stomps coming up the stairs and Liz slams her bedroom door. He sits quietly for a second then hears soft sobs coming from her room. He closes the magazine, slips it under the mattress and heads off to Liz's room. He stands outside the door and was just about to knock when his father comes up the stairs.

"Don't waste your time going in to talk to her. She's on restriction for 2 weeks, and you have a mess to clean up outside. And don't forget to cover the spots where the grass was burned away..."

His father walks back down the stairs, while Greg just stares at his back. He heads outside, cleans up and heads back to his room, quietly closing the door and sits at the chair facing the window.

'When is Dad gonna loosen up on Liz? She's just doing it for attention because he never pays any attention to her. I can't really blame her. Dad's gonna just LUV it when I tell him I'm going off to medical school. With all that dough I've earned throwing those newspapers on people's front doors, mowing lawns and raking leaves I don't need anything from him anyway. Man...I've gotta go rent a tux...'

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

That time wasn't when he started hating his dad. It was something he'd always known since he was a kid. His dad was tough on him. Always telling him what to do: make a grilled sandwich this way; make a PB&J sandwich this way; go clothes shopping that way; pack the grocery bag with food this way…it was enough to drive any man to drink, or take drugs, as was House's case.

'_It's not my fault I'm screwed up. Why am I the one being punished for his lousy actions?' _House thought to himself.

"God, my leg hurts!" He said out loud.

"Pssst, come here." House heard a man whisper out in the hall.

"What do you want?"

"Heard you need something for pain, buddy. I got something. Come here." The man said.

He thought he was hallucinating until he heard something hi-pitched roll across the tile floor toward his bed. He looked at the floor and there it was….oh, another one rolled toward him. He knew he was hallucinating now. But he didn't care if he was. He slowly got out of bed, got down on his good leg and picked up the pill. It looked like a Vicodin, smelled like a Vicodin, and had "Smithers" on one side. It was a Vicodin! He grabbed the second one and popped both of them in his mouth. He sat down on his butt and laid his head on the back of the bed post leg until the pills kicked in. A tear rolled down his cheek when the pain in his leg slowly ebbed away. He was free…for now…for a while…a very short while.

House was able to get up and go to the cafe for dinner that night, but it wasn't as pleasant as he'd hoped. He had been on his best behavior, well, for House, which is good. He followed along in line like the mindless children going into the underground building in The Time Machine movie. When he got the nasty looking-smelling food on his tray, he walked to a table that had the least amount of people and sat at the very end. He was content until Kyle showed up.

"Hey, buddy. Mind if I join you?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, as a matter of fact I do." House answered looking at his food, debating whether he really wanted to eat it.

"Great, thanks!" Kyle said as he put the tray on the table and started to eat. House rolled his eyes. "Wanna know why I'm here?" Kyle asked with a mouthful of food.

"No." House answered.

"I'm addicted to Vicodin. My sister had some for her back problem and she gave me some. Did you like?"

"Like what?" House said sarcastically. Then he recognized his voice. "Uh, yeah, thanks."

"Hey, no problem, man. That's why I'm here. Anytime you need more, you just let me know." Kyle said as he stood up and joined another group at another table.

House was feeling bad for taking the pills. He had been clean for almost four weeks and he was starting to feel better. Well, his leg wasn't. It still hurt like hell. And he'd begged Dr. Stafford for his cane, and he seemed to see the improvement in House and told him he'd do what he could about getting it.

The next morning he had a meeting with Dr. Stafford. As House walked into his office, he saw his cane against the back of a chair.

"Have a seat, Greg." The Dr. said. House walked to the chair with the cane, caressed it with hand, picked it up and used it to sit in the other chair. Dr. Stafford picked up the phone..."You may bring her in, now."

House was afraid to turn around to see who it was. He thought it was his 10th grade girlfriend whom he poured chocolate milk over her head then ran off, though he had no clue why he thought of that.

"Greg..." She started to say. His head flew around to look at her then he jumped up and walked to Dr. Lisa Cuddy. He threw his arms around her waist and hugged her, tightly. She had her arms around his neck and buried her face. He could feel her cold tears fall onto his shoulder and he held her even tighter.

"Oh, Leeesaaa..." He said. He'd never felt so happy in his life.

"Please, you two, have a seat." Dr. Stafford said. They did so while holding hands across the space between the chairs. House couldn't stop staring at Cuddy. To him, it seemed she'd aged tremendously. And, to Cuddy, he looked like he'd aged, but for the better. The sparkle was back in his eyes as they had been when they dated.

"Greg, I felt it was time to reward you by inviting Dr. Cuddy to have some time with you. And thank you, Dr. Cuddy, for sending the check to cover the window he smashed previously." Cuddy nodded her head, and Greg couldn't hide his grin.

"I was having a bad day, Lisa." House said. She squeezed his hand and winked at him.

"You have made great progress, Greg. You two may peruse the grounds for as long as you need in 30 minutes, but there is one more private meeting with Greg that must be done first. Dr. Cuddy, would you mind stepping out into the hallway? He'll join you shortly."

"Of course not. Thank you, Dr. Stafford." Cuddy said as she stood, extended her hand to the Dr. and gave

House a kiss on the cheek. She walked out of the office. Dr. Stafford picked up the phone again and said, "You may bring them in, now."

For some reason, House got a knot in his stomach. A few minutes later, Mom and Dad House walked into the office. Mom went straight to her son and gave him a hug while he still sat.

"Hi, Mom." House said.

"I'm so glad you are doing bet..." She started to say.

"This is totally unnecessary and a complete waste of our time. Not to mention the money we spe..." House rolled his eyes and put his hand to his temple as he blocked out his father's voice. He felt the migraine come back. Or, was it the pain from his father's constant belittling?

"Mr. House, Mrs. House, please, sit." Dr. Stafford said. Mom sat in the chair next to her son while Dad sat on the couch, seemingly 20 miles away.

"I'd like to start by saying Greg has made tremendous progress. But there are a few more matters that must be addressed. I understand you are a retired Colonel in the Army, correct Mr. House?"

"Yes." Was all he said.

"Dr. Stafford, we raised Gregory the best we could, and I think he turned out to be a great man." Mom House said.

"Yes, he is, except nothing pleases that boy. I gave him everything I never had, and he never appreciated any of it." Dad House said angrily.

"Greg, how do you feel about that statement?" Dr. Stafford asked House. House just shrugged his shoulders. "Greg, you have to learn to speak up and tell them how you feel. The animosity you have toward your father is keeping you from dealing with the pain you feel." Dr. Stafford said.

"Oh, he isn't in pain. He makes himself live the most miserable life he can, and make those around him miserable, too." Dad said. House grabbed his cane, stood up and went to the window. It was beginning to snow, and it actually looked pretty good to him.

"Honey, stop it." Mom said to her husband.

"Oh, right. You did a pretty good job of making my childhood miserable! And after what you said about LizBeth!" House yelled. He caught a glimpse of his mother shutter when she heard the name of her only daughter.

"I'm sorry, Mom. But it's _his_ fault! That girl wanted nothing but love from you he pointed to his father but she was never good enough. I was never good enough. Why do you think I wouldn't let them amputate my leg, huh? Do you?" House screamed, challenging his father to answer.

"I'll tell you! Because if I didn't have my leg, I would be more imperfect. Plus, you'd have a field day finding more ammo to criticize me. We're soooooo sorry we aren't as perfect as you are!" House blurted out.

Later that morning, House and Cuddy were walking the grounds of the rehab center in the snow, bundled up in coats and scarves.

"Greg, honey. Are you ok?" Cuddy asked House as she put her gloved hand out to catch the falling snow.

He stopped and turned to look at her. "Lisa, I don't know. That Dr. Stafford cornered me with bringing in my parents. That was low."

"No, it wasn't. That was something you would have done."

"No, I wou...well, maybe I would have. But still, why does he have to be so damned judgmental of me? And of LizBeth. God! That man!"

"Who's LizBeth, Greg?" Cuddy asked.

House hesitated for a moment. "She was my sister, Elizabeth. But I called her LizBeth. Dad was always rough on her, too strict. She wasn't a cadet, for Pete's sake! She was his daughter!"

"_Was_ his daughter?"

"She committed suicide wh..." He closed his eyes as if the words he was about to speak would tear his tongue out.

"She sat in the car in a closed up garage with the motor running. She called me, from there, in the car. But I didn't go to the house. It's MY fault she's dead! I should have gon..." His voice trailed off as he collapsed in the dusting of snow. Cuddy sat down next to him and put her arm around him.

"Oh, baby. Don't do that to yourself." She tried to comfort him as the tears rolled out of his eyes. "Do you want to talk about it?" Cuddy asked affectionately.

House shook his head, 'no.' then after a moment he said, "She was pregnant. She knew Dad would kill her so she did it. And since then we never talked about her, never. I hated them for that. And Mom, well, I guess I didn't hate her. She got stuck in the middle, but she allows herself to be. Since then, I've hated him. And he doubled up on me because he didn't have LizBeth to attack. Lisa, that's why I couldn't let you cut off my leg. I was never perfect in his eyes in the first place. If I didn't have my leg..." Cuddy cut him off.

"Oh, Greg. I'm so sorry. Oh, baby." She said as she rocked him. She held him until his tears stopped and he could talk again.

And they did. Talk. One of the things was he told her how much he appreciated her putting up with his ass and he'd do the best he could to be good to her.

"How is the gang?" House finally asked after they got up from the cold, frozen grass and walked among the bushes and trees.

"Great. That Rog, you know, the klutz? I've hired him full-time. There was a patient he diagnos..."

"I meant the _other_ gang." House cut her off with a grin.

"Oh!" She laughed. "Let's see. Wilson is starting back to work next week, but only part time. He, Sarah and Charlie are very happy together. And Chase and Cameron have been kind of funny with each other. I mean, it's apparent they try not to talk to each other, other than about medical issues. I tried talking to Chase about it but he didn't tell me anything.

"Foreman has been working in the E.R. for the past two weeks, but he'll still be working with you four days a week, and in the E.R. on Fridays and Saturdays. Right now he and Michelle are in the Bahamas."

"Who's Michelle? House asked.

"His girl. They've been seeing each other for a while now."

"Lisa, can we go back? I'm getting cold." House said as he turned around to retrace their steps.

"Ok, but there's something you need to see, first." Cuddy said as she took his hand and led him around a tree.

There, on a thick, plaid blanket was a wicker basket. "What's this?" House asked.

"Lunch." She simply said.

She pulled him by his hand and they both sat on the blanket, under a tree providing them shelter from the lightly falling snow. They ate fried chicken, potato salad and the like. House actually laughed out loud a few times, as Cuddy told him of Rog's fumbling incidents.

"Lisa?" House asked as he put his mug of hot cocoa on the blanket and looked at her.

"Hmmmph?" She said as she sipped her hot tea.

"Do you love me?"

"Hmm. I don't know." She answered with a serious face then smiled at him. "Yes, I do. I think I always have. That's the only way I could put up with you." She teased.

"Then, uh, guess I should tell you something." He started to say.

"I love you, too, Lisa." House said.

TWO MONTHS LATER…

Dr. Greg House walked into the clinic of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. It was a Friday and he'd just been released from the rehab center. He really didn't want to go home, yet.

"Welcome back, Dr. House...Hey, Dr. House...Glad to see you, Dr. House..." Nurses and Doctors greeted him as he walked toward the elevator.

He really didn't want to hear all of that. He stepped off the elevator and headed to his office. Well, he really just wanted his t.v.; it was almost 3:00 and he had General Hospital to catch up on. He opened the door to his office and noticed Chase, Cameron and Rog sitting at the table in the conference room.

They'd seen him walk in and Cameron's face lit up. Chase caught her expression change then looked away quickly because Cameron noticed him staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Cameron stood up and walked to the coffee pot, grabbed his mug.

As she poured she thought to herself, 'W_onder what he wants now? Cream? Sugar? Black? I can never tell how he likes it from day to day.'_ She thought to herself as she walked to his office and put the mug on his desk. He didn't look at her.

"Thanks, Cameron." House said. She didn't know what to say to him.

"Where's Foreman?" House asked.

"He's in the E.R. I thought Cuddy told y..."

"Yeah, yeah, that's right." House interrupted her.

"We missed you, House." Cameron finally said. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Thanks. I actually missed you guys, too."

Cameron walked back into the conference room. She hoped he didn't know about Chase and Cameron going out a few times. She wouldn't know how to face him if he knew. She felt like she cheated on him, even though they weren't together. One date, that's all it was. But she had to know how to get to that man. She knew there was something more to him, and on more than one occasion she'd lay awake in bed trying to figure him out.

'_Figure him out? That was like trying to figure out if there really _was_a Loch Ness monster. You know something's there, even though you don't see it; but every once in a while, you see a glimmer of something.'_ She thought to herself.

An hour later, after G.H. was over, House walked into the conference room where the gang had been sitting around doing nothing, like they'd been doing the past few months.

"Hey, you guys up for dinner tonight? I haven't had a half decent meal in months." House asked, while they all gave him a surprised look.

"Uh, I can't. I have some papers to work on." Chase said.

"I can." Cameron chimed in.

"Rog, what about you? I haven't gotten you drunk yet to spill all your secrets...I mean, taken you to dinner." House said.

"Yes, Sir, I can make it." Rog answered. House noticed the look of disappointment on Cameron's face when he said he'd join them.

"Let me go call Foreman, too. That ok?" Cameron asked.

"Fine." House answered. "I need to get all the dirt on his new girl."

"Is Lee..Cuddy here today?" House asked.

"Yes, Sir. She's in a meeting." Rog said.

"Ok, good. Meet you guys at Gerald's at 8? I want to go home and change." House said as he walked out. He didn't even wait until they'd answered him.

House had been home for a couple of hours. He'd made arrangements to have Cuddy watch little Stevie McQueen, but he still looked for him when he first got into his apartment. The first thing he did was head for the shower; he had a nice, long, 30 minute shower. He'd never felt cleaner in his life. Then he went to the mini bar and poured a tall scotch. He walked to the hutch, pulled it out a little bit and pulled out a bottle. It was his Vicodin; his secret stash. He'd been clean the past two months, since he'd taken the Vicodin from Kyle at the rehab center. So, he just made himself be on his best behavior to get him out as soon as he could get out because he knew he had some here.

He looked at his GameBoy but wasn't in the mood to play. He couldn't stand anymore defeat at the moment. But his piano.

_'Ahhhh, my keys! Come to dad-eee!' _House thought to himself as he put his drink on the table next to the piano. And played and played, for hours. He hadn't even paid attention to the time until he heard the doorbell go off.

_'Du duh duh duhhhhhhhh'_ He piped in real quick before he answered the door. He looked in the peep hole and saw Cameron standing there carrying a food bag.

"Oh, I didn't know Gerald delivers!" House said as he opened the door to let Cameron in.

"House, I'd ask what happened to you but I heard you play your piano. I've been hitting the doorbell for five minutes!"

"What time is it?" House asked, looking at his wrist at an imaginary watch.

"It's 9:30. We were supposed to meet at 8, remember? Well, I brought you a cheeseburger and fries." Cameron said as she walked to the kitchen table and put the bag down.

"What? No Reuben? Thanks. That smells good." House said as he tore into the bag and stuffed a big bite into his mouth.

"How are you and Chase doing?" House asked between bites.

Cameron was shocked he knew about them. She was sorry he did, though. "We're not. I don't see us going anywhere."

"Cameron, you _know_ he likes you. Give the Aussie a break, will ya? You want something to drink?"

"No, thanks. Had enough at the bar." Cameron answered. "I've thought about being with Chase, but...I don't know. I feel badabout what I did to him."

"Bad? Really? I heard it was pret..."

"Shut up, House." Cameron snapped.

"Ok, ok. I'm sorry." House said sincerely when he took the bag of fries to his recliner and sat down. Cameron just stood and watched him. She wanted to stay, but she was so confused.

"House, look, I know you've been gone for so long, and I hope it's helped you. Has it?" Cameron asked as she sat down.

House shrugged his shoulders. "I guess so." He answered.

"House, um, do you still have feelings for me? Since you've been away?"

_'Not that again. Geez.'_ House thought to himself.

"Cameron, I've got someth..." Just then the doorbell rang.

"Wow, I've never had so many visitors in one night. I don't think I'll ever go away again!" House said as he stood up to answer the door.

"Hi, baby! I heard you weren't at Gerald's and...oh, hi Cameron." Cuddy said as she walked through the door. House looked at the floor like he was a dog that just got busted for pee'ing on the carpet.

"Hi, Dr. Cuddy. I was just leaving." Cameron said as she stood up.

"Cameron, thanks for the burger. I really appreciate the thought." House said as he put his hand on her shoulder as she walked out.

House quickly closed the door and held Cuddy. "Oh, woman, you smell sooo good." He said as he planted a kiss on her lips.

She broke away from him, stepped to the couch and unbuttoned her winter full-length coat, took it off and put it on the couch. She was wearing a lacy, black, thigh-high negligee along with a welcoming smile. He limped toward her, without his cane, and held her. He pulled her into his bedroom and they made love all night long. Sweet, passionate love. He knew he was... in love...with Cuddy.

---When the door closed behind Cameron, she took a few steps and leaned against the wall. Tears swelled in her eyes when it dawned on her that House and Cuddy were together. She'd lost. Lost House. Forever. Cameron went home that night and laid in bed, thinking about Chase.

_'Am I being too hard on him?' _Then she thought about House. _'Well, I guess it's for the best. House and Cuddy do seem good for each other, and she certainly can put up with him better than I can.'_

"Oh, stop it!" She said out loud, and reached for the phone.

---Chase just put his key in the door when he heard the phone rang. He quickly unlocked the door and ran to answer the phone.

"Hello?" Chase asked as he threw the keys on the table.

"It's Cameron. I just wanted to make sure you got home ok." There was silence. "Well, did you get home okay?" She asked with a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. Just walked in the door. What are you doing? Thought you'd be asleep by now. How did House like his burger?" Chase said as he sat on the couch after taking his coat off.

"He ate it in two seconds flat. Chase, did you know House and Cuddy are, uh, dating?" Cameron finally blurted out.

"No, I didn't. How do you know?"

"She came to his place shortly I got there. She knew she was going over there when she heard he was back. That's why she didn't come to dinner with us."

"Allison, does it matter?" Chase asked.

"Well, no."

Early the next morning, House and Cuddy lay in bed in each other's arms. House woke up first and was just watching her sleep. He loved doing that.

_'She can't order me to clinic duty when she's asleep.' _House thought to himself and grinned. He reached out his hand and softly ran his thumb over her eyebrow, brushed it against her eyelash, her cheek, her bottom lip.

"OW!" House screamed when she bit his thumb. She grinned.

"Mornin', baby." She said as her eyes fluttered open.

"Want some coffee?" House asked her.

"No, I want to lay here with you for a while. That okay?"

House picked his head up off the pillow and kissed her lips. "Does that answer your question?" He asked. She nodded her head, and they made love again.

House rolled over and looked at his clock; it read 11:45. "Lisa, I'm going to make coffee, sweetie. You want tea, right?" House asked as he slid out of bed and slid his boxers on.

"Yes, please. And I _love_ your golfing boxers!" She said with a smile.

"Thanks. And I don't have any tea. You'll have to have coffee." He said as he bent down and kissed her. He walked out into the kitchen and started the coffee brewing. He opened his refrigerator and realized he didn't have anything to make breakfast - rather, lunch with.

"Lisa! I don't have anything to make for breakfast. I can order a pizza?" House asked loud enough so she could hear in the bedroom.

"You don't have to scream at me, dear." Cuddy said as she peered over the opened refrigerator door. He looked up and saw her standing in her negligee.

"You know, you should wear that every day, sexy!" House said with a smirk.

"Well, you know, I like to keep my 'fun bags' hidden away to leave some to the imagination." She teased. Just then the phone rang.

"Don't answer it! It might be someone important!" House said.

"Well, if it's someone important then you should answer it."

"But I don't wanna!" House whined.

The answering machine picked up. "House, it's Foreman. I know you're there...anyway, there's a patient that was just brought in and she's asking for you. Her name is Melissa...it's nothing serious but she really wan...BEEEEEEP"

"Who's Melissa? I thought you got rid of your hooker list. Tsk, tsk."

"She wa...is a patient at Princeton-Clarkston. She's just a kid. Sweet."

"Oh, I see. You hit up on another patient?" Cuddy teased as she pulled two coffee mugs from the cabinet and handed on to House.

"Stop, Lisa." House said with a smile. He walked into the living room and dialed Foreman's cell phone.

"Hey...yeah, I was sleeping. What's up with Melissa?...oh, ok...do an upper G.I. endoscopy to look for an ulcer an...yeah, yeah, right. Ok. Tell her I'll be there soon." House hung up the phone.

"Lisa, do you min..."

"Of course not, Greg. I have to run home anyway."

"Can't you stay? I won't be long. I can get some foo..."

"No, no. Tell ya what. While you're gone, I'll run home, change, get some food for dinner, maybe a movie or two. How's that?" She asked.

"Yeah, get 'Bambi Does Birmingham,' ok? I've been wan..."

"Greg, go change!" She said as she kissed his cheek.

When House changed clothes and Cuddy was in the shower, he went to the closet and grabbed the bottle. '_Damn, only six left! They'll last me only a day or so, depending on what kind of day I have...er, the pain is killing me.' _He thought to himself as he swallowed two and put the bottle back in the closet.

House walked into the E.R. about 45 minutes after Foreman called him about Melissa. House met him just outside the nurse's station.

"What's up with Melissa?" House asked as he reached for her file from Foreman's hands. He flipped through a few pages to see what had been done to diagnose her. "Bloody diarrhea, stomach pain, mild fever, no hemorrhoids."

"We did an upper G.I. endoscopy for ulcers, negative. But there was evidence that she had them in the past. Her esophagus, stomach and duodenum are also clear. She's having a CT scan right now. As a matter of fact they should almost be done." Foreman said as he reached for the phone and dialed a few numbers.

"Ok, great. Thanks." As he hung up the phone he told House, "She's on her way back up." House nodded his head as he reached for a chair and sat down.

"It's good to see you back, House. A lot has happened since you've been gone."

"Yeah, so I've heard." House said accusingly. "What made you come to the E.R.? You never mentioned it before." House asked.

"It's been in the back of my head for a while now. I just never thought about pers...here she is." Foreman said as he looked at two attendants wheeling a gurney into an exam room. House stood up and they went into her room. Melissa was getting into the bed and lay on her side, holding her stomach.

"Hey, girl! Heard you are having some stomach problems. How are you feeling?" House asked as he popped in the scan films on the lighted white board to examine the results.

She didn't answer. House turned around to see Foreman at her side and a nurse inserting an I.V. for fluids because she'd lost so much from the diarrhea. The nurse put the thermometer in her mouth as House walked to her bed. She didn't look at House at all but her eyes were open.

"Melissa, I heard you asked for me. Is there anything I can do for you?" House asked softly. Foreman looked at House with a fascinated expression.

_'Whoah! Looks like that rehab center worked for him. That's great.' _Foreman thought to himself.

"No." She barely whispered.

"Is the pain that bad? We can get you something for that. I hear Vicodin is terrific for pain." Foreman snickered and shook his head. House looked up at him with a death glare.

"Foreman, I'll take care of her now, if you don't mind."

"Actually, I do. She's my patient." He said rather short.

"May I see you outside, Dr. Foreman?" House asked. "I'll be right back. Hang in there." And they walked out into the hall.

"Foreman, I understand your situation. But we were in rehab together. I'd really like to take care of her." House asked as nicely as he could.

"House, things are different down here. You can't jus..." House interrupted him.

"Look, I know things have been a little strange with you being my boss for a while but come on!" House snapped, about to take Foreman down.

"Dr. House, I can't. You'll have to talk to Dr. Cypher. She's head of th..." Foreman was saying but House was already walking down the hall.

House walked into Dr. Cypher's office. She owed him a favor anyway. After a few minutes explaining the situation, Dr. Cypher shook her head. "Fine." She said. He thanked her and headed back to Melissa's room.

"Melissa, have you ever been treated for ulcers before? Or had bloody stools? And have you been taking Immodium A.D. or anything like that for the diarrhea?" House asked her as he stood by her bed. All she could do was shake her head 'no.'

"Ok. First we're going to sedate you for a barium enema then an X-ray; that'll show us if there's any problem with your colon, or large intestine. I also want an MRI, which will show any polyps or tumors. And if that doesn't show anything, we'll do a colonoscopy tomorrow." House said as he looked at her more closely.

"Melissa, what's wrong? I've never seen you quiet for more than two minutes."

"Doc, does this have anythin' to do with my HIV?" She finally asked.

"No, sweetie. I think maybe you do have an ulcer, which takes nothing to treat. Ok? Is there anyone I can call?" She shook her head 'no.'

"Ok, you get some rest. I'll be back in a few minutes to be with you during the procedures, ok?"

"Uh huh." She answered then closed her eyes.

House walked into the hall and saw Foreman treating another patient. House didn't know if he called Dr. Stafford or not, or who even brought her to the hospital. He walked to his office to call him.

"Dr. Stafford, this is Dr. Greg House. I've got Melissa Fitzhugh here an...yes, about two hours a...I don't know. Dr.

Foreman first treated her then he called me." House was silent for a moment as he listened to Dr. Stafford.

"Ok, I'll call you when we know what's wrong with her. Can you please wait on that?" House asked urgently. "Great, thanks...you're welcome."

House sat in his office for a few minutes thinking about what he'd just heard. He never asked himself why he took such an interest in Melissa, besides she seemed like a cool kid. She reminded him of his sister, LizBeth. Maybe that was why he was 'drawn' to her. He walked back down to LizBeth's room. There were two nurses getting her ready for the enema.

"You better take good care of this woman, you two!" House chimed as he walked into her room. She looked a little pale but at

least she wasn't grabbing her stomach anymore.

"Do you two mind if I chat with her before we go down?" House asked as nicely as he could. One of the nurses looked at him suspiciously then they left.

"Melissa, why didn't you tell me you skipped out of that place? And where is your boyfriend? Is he the one that brought you here?"

She looked up at him and knew immediately that he had called Dr. Stafford.

"You traitor! Why did you call him?" She shouted at him then grabbed her stomach.

"Now, you know I didn't...I had to ask Dr. Stafford what medications you were taking." House lied.

"Yeah, Jack brought me here. He picked me up at the center. It was his idea to get me outta there. It was sooo easy gettin' outta that place." She tried to laugh.

"Melissa, this is no joke! You could have bled to death! You might even be anemic. I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. Wait...wasn't Jack in prison for coke possession?"

"Yeah, but he got out a few weeks ago. He came to see me. I didn't wanna to do it bu...oooooooohhhhhhhhh." She moaned.

"Your stomach? House asked as he threw back the covers and tapped her stomach.

"Don...God it hurts!" She screamed. House hollered for the nurses.

"I think she has a blocked colon. Get an O.R. ready!" House shouted as nurses came into the room. House looked up at her vital readings and her blood pressure had dropped, which wasn't a good sign.

"Get some morphine for her, please. Melissa, I'll be in the room with you during your surgery, ok? Trust me, you'll be fine." House said as he winked at her.

"I trust you, Doc Greg." She said then screamed in pain again.

House left her room and went to the phone at the nurse's station to call Cuddy about Melissa's condition.

"Hey, babe. Where are you?" He asked when she answered the phone.

"Just walked in the door. How's Melissa?"

"She's on her way to surgery. She has a blocked colon, I think."

"Greg, do you want me there?" Cuddy asked.

"No, no. Why don't you stay there and I'll call you when she's out?"

"Actually, what I'm making will take a while. Do you like chicken and linguini? I make it from scratch. It's an old family recipe."

"Yeah, that sounds great."

"Hey, where's your spare set of keys? You ran out so fast I forgot to ask for them." Cuddy asked.

"Look on your keychain, darlin'." House said then hung up before she could respond.

He thought he was being so sneaky when he put his spare key on her ring when she was in the shower. He worked quickly like that. They wheeled Melissa into surgery and he changed into a mask and surgical gown. House watched the procedure intently. They did find a tumor on her colon and had to remove about 2-1/2 feet of her large intestine because it had swollen so much it was beginning to cut off the blood flow.

"Ok, get her started on sulfasalazine. She did fine." The operating doctor told House. House smiled underneath his mask and nodded his head. Then he walked out to call Wilson. During the surgery, he realized he hadn't called him yet.

"Herow?" A little voice asked on the other end of the phone.

"Hi, Charlie! Is your Daddy home?"

"Uh huh." There was silence.

"May I speak with him, please?" House asked with a little grin.

"DAAAAAAAAAD!" He screamed into the phone so loud House had to pull the ear piece away from his ear.

"Hello? Go play with Mommy, ok?" Wilson said through the phone.

"Oh, I can play with Sarah! Wow, Wilson, thanks!" House teased.

"Hey, House! When did you get home? Cuddy said you got out yesterday."

"Actually, I'm at the hospital, with a patient."

"Oh. Back so soon? Does that mean you have more clinic duty?"

"Not if I can help it. I just wanted to call you. You up for dinner later? Or lunch tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that'd be great. Charlie's been wanting to go sledding. I tried telling him there wasn't enough snow, but he wouldn't listen. He takes after you, House."

House laughed. "What can I say? Okay, I'll call ya later."

"Glad you're back, House." He thanked Wilson and hung up the phone.

House sat at his desk waiting for Melissa to be wheeled back into her room. He knew it'd be a while before she came out of the anesthetic, and the clock said it was 5:45. He was tired and hungry. He'd forgotten all about eating anything.

_'OH! Lisa's making dinner!' _He thought to himself as he dialed his home number. There was no answer. He hung up and dialed her cell phone.

"Hello?" Cuddy said.

"Hey, where are you?"

"At your front door." She answered.

"You're still at the house! It takes you that long to make the linguini?"

"No, but it takes a while to pack it and bring it to you." She said as she pushed open the door to his office. She had the cell phone in one hand and the wicker basket in the other. House smiled then hung up the phone. He stood up and limped to her, in obvious pain and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"You are a life saver, Lisa. Thanks!" House said as he grabbed the basket and took it to the desk.

"How's Melissa?" Cuddy asked as she took the food out of the basket. House told her everything she'd been through and that he thought she'd be fine. He also told her he called Wilson, and 'Charlie sounded like the sweetest little boy.'

"He really is. Julie is being difficult, though. That's a long story and I really don't want to get into it." Cuddy said as she dished the chicken and linguini onto the hard plastic plates; it was still warm.

They ate and House even had seconds. "This is the best meal I have ever eaten! Well, the cheeseburger was pretty good, well, the second best meal I've eaten." Cuddy threw her napkin at him and smiled.

"Greg, I found something that I wished I hadn't." House leaned back in his chair and rubbed his full stomach.

"Is it contagious?" House asked.

"Seriously, Greg. You spent, what? Almost three months in rehab and you're _still_ taking the Vicodin?" Cuddy said perturbed.

"Ah, you went snooping, huh?"

"No. I was looking for a hand towel to wrap some of the food bowls in. What has gotten into you? You know, I don't know if I can do this." Cuddy sighed.

"Do what?" House asked, playing stupid.

"I am not going to have a relationship with you if you continue to abuse that Vicodin."

"Lisa, I did learn something at rehab. I realized that my father is a real ass, there's nothing I can do about it but watch how I react to his negativity. Yes, I admit I did more than I had to at times, but I kept hearing my dad's voice and nothing would make them stop. But I do need something for my leg. Nobody seems to understand that."

"How much have you taken since you've been home?" She asked.

"I took two when I got home last night and two before I left to come here. And I haven't taken any since I've been here." He said honestly.

"I'm just concerned about you, Greg. I know a little of what you've been through in the past, and what you are going through now. I'm trying to understand, I really am. But I don't understand your addiction."

"Lisa, it'll be fine. I really am going to do the best I can to take as little Vicodin as I can."

"How are you going to manage that? You can't self-prescribe that."

"I have my connections."

Lisa's eyes burrowed into his. "Oh, really? How's that?"

"Don't you bother with that, Lisa."

"Greg, I have to! Don't you get it? You are on probation until your actions have proved that you indeed have beaten your addiction. If I, at any time, become aware of you continuing to take them, I have no other choice but to fire you. And I don't want to have to do that." House stared at her intently, as if she were challenging him.

"Ok, on Monday, I'll check into pain medication alternatives."

"And you'll join a pain management class with Dr. Parker." Cuddy said.

House rolled his eyes, stood up and walked to Cuddy. "Babe, for you, I will try." She smiled at him as he bent over and kissed her.

"Eeew, garlic breath! Nasty." House teased.

"Shut up and kiss me, fool!" Cuddy said. Just as House reached up to her chest his cell phone went off. Cuddy grabbed it off his belt and looked at it. "Melissa's out of surgery, Greg."

House reluctantly stood up. "Lisa, seriously, thanks. For everything."

House walked into Melissa's room and she was still asleep. He sat and watched her, and thought. He didn't know why he lied to Lisa about the pills. He didn't know why he even got Kyle's sister's number so she could get his pills. He still didn't understand why he did the things he did, even. But he knew one thing. He loved Cuddy. And he wasn't going to lose another good thing in his life. A few minutes later Melissa started coming around from the anesthetic. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled when she saw House.

"Hey, Doc. How'd my plastic surgery go?" She muttered.

"Well, the bad news is you no longer look yourself. The good news is you now look like Angelina Jolie."

"NO! I don't like her lips. They look fake." She teased back sleepily.

"Seriously, Melissa, they did find a tumor on your colon but they removed it. The doctor said it looked benign. But he's concerned a little because the aminosalicylates doesn't seem to be working. We can't put you on AZA or mercaptopurine because they both suppress your immune system. With your HIV, it might cause complications. We'll have to keep a close eye on you."

"Doc?"

"Yes?"

"Can ya keep Jack 'way from me, please?" Melissa begged. "I can't...back...him...done...wanna...go..."

"Melissa, you can count on that, I promise. But, you've got to be strong, too. We found traces of Cocaine in your system." Melissa frowned at him and looked at his leg.

"Ah, don't tell me Mr. Perfect Doc hasn't been doin' his 'drug-a-choice' since you been out. I can tell, Doc. I only saw that look in your eyes when you first got to rehab. Yeah, I noticed you...it." House shook his head and grinned a little.

"We still have a long road ahead of us, Melissa. But you have to hang in there. You're going to have good days and bad days. I'll help you if you help me?" House asked, hopefully. She nodded her head in agreement.

"Just a few more things. You are anemic, but that'll be corrected with the Iron supplement we have you on. We'll try corticosteroids for the inflammation as well as Asacol, but you let the nurse know if you have any nausea, heartburn or headache."

"Okey dokey Doc-a-rokey! I'm gonna sleep now. Thanks for checking up on me." She said as she closed her eyes. House walked out of her room feeling pretty good about himself. Either he was in extraordinary pain from his leg, or the Grinch in him was slowly dying.

"Pardon me!" A woman said when House turned a corner and ran right smack into her.

"What? Why? _You_ ran into _me_!" House snipped then kept on walking. No, the Grinch was still there! He walked away with a grin on his face. When he walked back into his office, Cuddy was still there waiting for him.

"Hi, babe. You look tired." She said to him as he walked to the couch and sat down.

"I am." He said, putting his head on her shoulder and closing his eyes.

"You have an hour to sleep before we are due at Wilson and Sarah's." Cuddy told him.

"Aw, man! What for! I wanna go back and play! Do I have to?"

"Yes, and stop whining! It's not very becoming of a Doctor." Cuddy said as she put her arm around his shoulder and let his head rest on her chest. She kissed the top of his head and she could see his cheeks come up close to his ear in a smile. He reached out for her right hand and held it to his heart.

---In Cameron's apartment, she had just gotten out of the shower to get ready for the evening. Chase invited himself over to take her to Wilson and Sarah's. She sat at her makeup table drying her hair and thinking. About what, in particular, she didn't really

know. She noticed Chase sounded funny on the phone and said he was going to be at her place an hour early before they left so they could hang out. The doorbell rang but Cameron hadn't put on clothes yet. She quickly threw on a red and gold glimmering sweater and black jeans. She opened the door and he walked in, not looking too happy. He walked directly to the couch and sat down.

"Uh, what's up with that? You're ear..." Cameron stated to say.

"Allison, we need to talk." He interrupted. Cameron walked to the chair in front of the couch and sat down.

"I don't understand why you haven't been talking to me. You won't even look at me, and when you do it's a nasty look. It was my baby you lost, too."

Cameron just stared at him. She wasn't used to his bluntness, or anyone being blunt. Well, aside from House.

"Robert, you're right. I've just been so confused trying to deal with everything. I thought I could handle it myself but apparently I'm not doing a good job. And I _have_ been trying to block you out, and I'm sorry for that. But this is so different than when I lost Emma. At least I held her, touched h..."

Chase stood up and got on his knees in front of Cameron. "I know it's been difficult for you. I've been waiting for you to come to me to talk but you never did. I didn't want to make things worse. What is it I'm doing wrong?"

Cameron sighed. "Nothing, nothing. Really. It's just...when I saw Cuddy walk into House's apartment last night it just hit me, hard. You know, I didn't fall asleep until 4:30 this morning. Maybe it just isn't meant to be. And I'm sorry if I made you feel used that night and..."

"Allison, you didn't use me. And I didn't use you. I care about you, and I did want you that night. I knew how upset you were and that's the only reason why I came over. I thought you really did change your mind about that drink. But I'm here for you now; you don't have to go through this alone." Chase could see the tears swell in Cameron's eyes and he stood up and put his arms around her.

"It'll be okay, really. I won't hurt you. I have a lot of patience, Allison. We've been working together for almost three years. So, yeah, I'm patient." Chase said. Cameron smiled a little and put her arms around his neck.

"I'll try, Robert, I'll really try." Cameron said. He put her face between his hands and kissed her softly.

---"Come on, Greg! It's not like you're going to the dentist." Cuddy fussed at House as they slowly walked up to Wilson's house.

"I think I'd _rather_ be going to the dentist." He said. He thought he recognized Foreman's car down the street but he couldn't be sure. There were pink beads hanging from the rear view mirror and knew it couldn't be his. Cuddy knocked on the door and they could hear little feet running to the door. They heard a thud and then saw the door handle jiggle.

"Charlie! Wait! I'm coming!" Wilson said behind the door. The door slowly opened. "Hey, guys! Come on in!" Wilson said cheerily as he shook House's hand then took their coats. "Go on into the living room." Wilson said as he disappeared into the dining room.

House was really dreading this whole evening. He was still worried about Melissa, and his next pills. He'd started to get a headache but to make Cuddy happy, we went, reluctantly, but he went. They walked into the living room and there were no lights on. It was pitch black. Someone said, 'ok' and lights on a decorated Christmas tree lit the whole room. In the corner was a Menorah. Standing around the tree were Foreman with Michelle, Rog, Cameron with Chase, little Charlie standing in front of Cameron, Wilson and Sarah by the kitchen doorway.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" House said surprised. Cuddy had known the whole time and she kissed him on the cheek.

House's neck turned beet red.

"Come 'er, Uncle Grag! I got somting for ya!" Charlie said as he ran to take House's hand. He hesitated a moment, then took it. Charlie led him to the tree, bent down and grabbed a blue and silver wrapped box.

"Open!" Charlie begged. House smiled down at him then took the box, but he didn't open it right away.

"I...I..." House stuttered.

"Oh, go _on_!" Foreman egged him on. He slowly pulled at the ribbon then tore the paper off.

"Huwy up!" Charlie said with an urgent look.

He pulled the top open and pulled out an orange ceramic cup with lid with "House Improvement" on it. He smiled and looked at Charlie.

"Pict it 'ow mysef!" Charlie said with pride. House bent over and patted him on the head.

"I love it, Charlie. Thanks, buddy."

"You welcom! That's for quarters 'cuz Daddy said he was tired of buying you lun..."

"Greg, we left the tree up for you until you got back." Sarah interrupted her son.

"This...I...too much. Thanks, guys." House said. Wilson brought out wine and appetizers and they ate and got caught up while the roast was taking its last 30 minutes to bake.

Everyone ate in the dining room like one big happy family. So far, Rog hadn't broken anything but he did spill his wine on the tablecloth. House thought he was a cool guy, though, sort of. Michelle seemed really sweet, but there was something about her he couldn't put his finger on. Cameron and Chase seemed a little 'off' with each other. House noticed Cameron picking at her food and Chase was talking with Foreman most of the time. Wilson and Sarah seemed really happy. It was great seeing Wilson happy for a change.

_'Guess I'll never figure out which nurse he was with.' _House thought to himself.

"Uncle Grag! I wanna do sumtin for ya! I been pwakticing for two whole monts!" Charlie said as he tugged on House's shirt.

"After everyone is done eating dinner, sweetheart." Sarah said.

"Aw, Momm! Don't call me dat!" Charlie said a little embarrassed.

"Oh, I'm sorry, sweetheart. How 'bout I call you Bubba?" Sarah asked playfully.

"MOMMM!" He said. Everyone couldn't help but smile.

When everyone had finished eating, Charlie led his guests into the living room. But poor Charlie had to wait until his Mom made coffee for those that wanted it. Charlie waited by the Menorah until his Dad carried in a 36 key electric piano he'd gotten for the Holiday and Sarah passed out the coffee. Sarah sat down on the coffee table and started to play. Little Charlie straightened his collar on his t-shirt like he was a famous tenor singer, and he started a note too late in the song, but he belted out the Dreydl Song like a pro.

"I have a widdle dreydl, I made it out-a clay. And when it's dwy and weady, then dreydl I shall pway.

Oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, I made it out-a clay. Oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, now dreydl I shall pwaaaay.

It has a wovwey body, wiff legs so short and thin, and when it is all tired, it dwops and then I win!

Oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, wiff legs so short and thin, oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, it dwops and then I win!

My dreydl...pwayful, it wuvs to dance and spin. A happy game-a dreydl, come play wiff me. Let's begin!

Oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, it wuvs to dance and spin. Oh dreydl dreydl dreydl, come pway nowwww let'sss beginnnn!"

Everyone applauded and Charlie took a long, deep bow. He ran over to House and jumped on his right leg. House's face contorted in pain and he pushed Charlie off him. He landed on the carpet on his butt. He wasn't hurt, but he went crying to Sarah. House rubbed his leg and he tried to keep the tears from falling. Everything had been so nice up until now. No one said anything; no one really knew what to say.

"Char...Charlie...come here, buddy." House said in obvious pain. Charlie just buried his face in Sarah's shoulder, but she walked over to the couch with Charlie kicking and screaming and she sat him next to House.

"Come on, you lazy doctors! Help me in the kitchen, will ya?" Sarah said as she walked into the kitchen with the gang behind her.

"Charlie, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" House asked. Charlie just sniffed and wiped his eyes.

"I really did like the song! You did a fan-tabulous job!" House said, trying to cheer him up. Charlie wiped his nose on his forearm and just looked at House all big-eyed.

"Hey, can I have an encore?" Charlie hesitated a moment then jumped to the floor.

"I canned pway pee-ann-oh." Charlie said disheartedly.

"Don't worry! I can. Come on." House grabbed the keyboard, put it on his lap and turned it on.

"Do you know Woodolph the Wed-Nosed Deer?" Charlie asked.

"I sure do! How does it go, though? I just wanna make sure I play it right for Master Charlie." Charlie's faced beamed with a huge smile. House started the song, and when they were done, there was a round of applause coming from the kitchen doorway. Everyone of the gang was standing there clapping with huge smiles that matched Charlie's. House grinned innocently and shrugged his shoulders.

For the next half hour, they sang Christmas songs and had a great time; until Sarah said it was time for Charlie to go to bed. He pitched a fit until House surrendered to his pleas of reading him a story. Sarah carried Charlie upstairs after he got a hug and kiss from his 'fans.'

"UNCLE GRAG! I'm weady!" Charlie called down from the top of the stairs. House walked upstairs and Sarah quickly tucked him into bed. House sat on the bed and started to read him 'Twas the Night Before Christmas,' which was his favorite at the moment. He was asleep by the time House got to 'mouse.'

House slowly stood up and walked to the door, where he was surprised to see Sarah standing there with a sweet smile on her face. House walked through the door and she closed it quietly behind her.

"Sarah? Why did you put Charlie on the couch after I'd just thrown him off?" House asked curiously.

"Because LizBeth told me to." She replied.

"Woman, if you don't stop..."

"Hey, it's not me! Blame your sister!" Sarah said with a laugh. "She's persistent, that girl, isn't she?" Sarah said as they walked back downstairs. With little Charlie tucked up in bed upstairs, the gang sat around and finished getting caught up with what they had been doing in House's absence.

"Uh, I guess this is the perfect time to make an announcement." Foreman said as he stood up. "I've asked Michelle to marry me on Christmas Day. That's why I've been working in the E.R. two days a week. _Someone_ isn't paying me enough to afford a ring." He said proudly, then gave a little grin to House.

"Uh, you've just lost 10 of your pay." House teased but didn't smile.

"Dr. Cuddy, may I have a 10 pay increase?" Foreman asked her.

"Of course you can!" She said with a smile and hit House's shoulder with her elbow. Then they all laughed.

Everyone stood up and gave them congratulations and hugs. Chase noticed the look on Cameron's face: She was thinking to herself, _'He's getting married before me? At least it isn't House and Cuddy.'_ She gave Chase a quick glance then looked away.

An hour or so later, the party wrapped up and everyone said goodnight. House thanked everyone for being there and they walked out into the snow-covered night. House tried to pay attention which direction Cameron went, and was a little shocked when he saw Chase open the door for Cameron and she got in his car.

"Wow, seems Chase and Cameron are getting along. That's great." House said insincerely. They walked to Cuddy's car, but he grabbed the keys out of her hands, unlocked the driver side door and opened the door for her.

"Why, thunk ewe kind sur!" She said as she sat in the seat and he closed the door. He walked around to the passenger side and tapped on the window to get her to unlock it.

"What?" Cuddy asked.

"Unlock the door, Lisa!"

"I'm sorry! I can't hear you with the radio on!" It wasn't turned on.

"Lisa Deborah Cuddy! Open this door right now or I'll..." He heard the door unlock and quickly jumped in and slammed the door.

"So, you'll do _what_?" Cuddy asked House with a smirk on her face.

"I don't know, but I'll think of something...good."

"Greg? Is your leg hurting you that bad?"

"Yeah, it is, Lisa. I felt terrible I threw him off."

"I'll see what I can do about that. You were so sweet when you played for him."

"Thanks, but don't let that get around the hospital. I have a reputation to keep up." He said as he leaned over and kissed Cuddy.

There was a honk outside the window and they both looked out the window to see Chase waving and Cameron sitting next to him. As soon as she saw House look in her direction she quickly looked out the front windshield. When Cuddy and House got back to his apartment, he asked her to stay with him. But it was late and she had to go into work that Sunday to prepare some papers for a board meeting on Monday.

"But you can come in late! You're the boss, boss!"

"I know, bu..." She was forced to stop talking because House had planted a big, long kiss on her lips. She melted in his arms but she wasn't deterred.

"I'm sorry, baby. Really. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Oooh, ok, fine. Whatever." House whined and walked Cuddy to the door. "Night, baby. Thanks for tonight. I really enjoyed it."

"You did? You mean you actually enjoyed something nice that was done for you?" Cuddy said cutely.

"Goodbye, woman!" House said as he gave her one more quick kiss and closed the door behind her.

---Chase drove up to Cameron's apartment and turned off the engine. She gave him a wicked glance.

"Robert, it's late and I'm ready for bed." Cameron said as she went to open the door. There was a loud 'click' as Chase hit the 'lock' button that locked her in.

"Chase, I'm not in the mood for this."

"Allison, you haven't said one word to me since we left Wilson's house. What's the matter with you? Oh, wait! It's House kissing Cuddy, isn't it? Oh, you have got to be joking." Cameron didn't say anything.

"You'd better get used to that, girl."

"I don't have to get used to anything! Now unlock the door!" She screamed.

Chase unlocked the door and Cameron stepped out. She walked in a huff to her apartment door. Chase sat in the car and watched her to make sure she got in ok. When the light came on in her apartment window, he shook his head then started the engine and left. Chase was in a sour mood. When he got to his own apartment, he put on sweats and a t-shirt and lay in bed. The clock read 11:45. It had been an hour since he'd dropped Cameron off at her place. He was just about to doze off when his phone rang.

"Halo?" Chase said a little irked.

"Hey, did you get home okay?" Cameron asked.

"Uh, no. I missed my turn and right now I'm in Kalamazoo, Missouri." He said nastily. "Allison, this is twice you've called me to make sure I've gotten home safely. You know what that tells me?" There was silence on her end.

"It tells me that you care about me. But, the question is, do you _like_ me?"

There was silence for a moment, then, "yes." Cameron immediately hung up the phone. Chase put the phone in the cradle. And smiled.

---Dr. Lisa Cuddy walked into PPTH around noon that Sunday, which was late for her. She thought about calling House earlier but decided against it because she knew he hadn't had a solid goodnight's sleep since he'd been home. She sat down at her desk and noticed the message light was blinking on her phone. She knew she'd regret listening to it but she'd address it tomorrow morning.

BEEEP 'Dr. Cuddy, this is Foreman…it's 10:20 on Sunday morn…tried calling House but he isn't answering and I didn't leave a message. There's been a complication with Melissa…thought you'd be able to tell h…' BEEEP

'_They need to make longer messages with these machines.'_ Cuddy thought to herself when she dialed House's number. It rang a few times before the machine picked up.

"Greg, it's Li…" Cuddy started to say but House had picked up the phone.

"Hey, wanna come over to my apartment and play house?" He asked teasingly.

"No, I'm at the office. Foreman left a message about Melissa Fitzhugh; he said there's a problem but I didn't call him back yet. Thought you would want to do that."

"Yeah, ok. Actually, I just got out of the shower. I'll be over in a few." House said and hung up.

House walked into Melissa's room about an hour later, and she didn't look too good. She was pale and her eyes were sunken in, like she hadn't slept in a week.

"Hey, kid. How's it going?" House asked, trying to sound upbeat.

"Not good, Doc." She answered as she grabbed her stomach.

"I warned you not to be chasing down the single docs around here, didn't I?"

"Yeah, well, you weren't here, so what's a girl to do?"

"I looked over your chart and it seems you have a bacterial infection. Did Dr. Foreman explain everything to you?"

"No, uh-uh…well, he did, but I didn't get everything he said."

"Ok, basically you got a bacterial infection, more than likely in the small intestine that caused an Enteroenteric fistulas. That's just a fancy word for saying 'you've got an abscess which burst and it needs to be taken care of surgically.' We need to catch it before the infection attacks any major organs. I see here you're down for surgery at 3:15. Great." House said with a smile.

"Doc, Jack came by this morning. I begged him to leave but he wouldn't." She told him, sounding rather scared. "He said he'd be back. He accused you and I of sleeping together and I tried tellin' him you were like a big brother I never had but he didn't buy it."

"Melissa, when I talked to Dr. Stafford he wanted his staff to come and get you but I convinced him to let me treat you first. If he finds out Jack is aft…"

"He already knows. Dr. Stafford already called me. He said they could send someone to keep him away from me but I told him not to bother."

"Under the circumstances, I don't think it's a bad idea." House told her.

"Doc, look in the top drawer. Take it away, ok?" Melissa asked and closed her eyes. House walked to the drawer, opened it and stared at a bag with sugar in it; well, it looked like sugar but House knew it was cocaine.

"Did he bring this in?"

"Yeah, and I couldn't get up to dump it in the toilet. Please take it." House looked at the bag, looked out the glass panel to see if anyone was looking then put the bag in his back pocket. The last time he had a bag of cocaine in his hands he was 21, and cramming for finals. It was the only way he ever got through them. He passed, but barely.

"Melissa, I'm proud of you that you didn't do any. I will take care of this. And I'll be here when you get out of surgery, just to make sure you are okay."

"Thanks, Doc. Brother doc." She said with a grin on her face.

He didn't know what to say. He reached his hand out and patted the back of her hand then he went to Cuddy's office. She greeted him at the door; she was just on her way back from the bathroom. They embraced and kissed briefly, in case anyone saw them together. She felt Cuddy tap his back pocket, and he thought he heard the bag crinkle and prayed Cuddy didn't hear it. But he felt her fingers slide into the pocket and pulled out the bag.

"What the hell? No…no. What were you _thinking_?" She screamed at him with the bag of cocaine in her hand, stepping away from him.

"Lisa, it's...it's not…it's…shit. Chase gave me the bag. Said he confiscated it from a patient." House lied.

"Yeah? And I'm just supposed to believe that? Just like college! I found it then, too! Get out." Cuddy yelled as she pointed to the door.

"Cuddy, listen to me, please!" House pleaded.

"Ok, this is what I'll do: I'll call Chase and ask him myself. If he says it's from a patient, I'll believe you and flush it

down the toilet. If he denies knowing anything about this, you are fired." Cuddy said as she walked to the phone on her desk. She punched a few numbers, put the receiver against her shoulder and waited for Chase to answer.

"Sorry to bother you, Chase. It's Cuddy. Have you recently found anything in a patient's belongings over the past week…what?" There was quite a long moment of silence. "Ok, thanks." Cuddy hung up the phone, took the bag and walked to her private bathroom in her office, leaving the door open. House waited outside anxiously then heard the toilet flush. She walked back out and sat down, not saying a word.

"Uh, Mrs. Trump? Am I fired?" House nervously asked Cuddy, knowing Chase knew nothing about the coke.

"No. Now, go home."

"I can't. Melissa's having surgery and I promised I'd be here when she wo…" House's pager went off, and he looked at it. It read: "911-Mel". House left Cuddy's office without a word and rushed to her room.

When he got there, a man was leaning over Melissa's body on her bed with a bloody knife raised in his hand. Melissa had her eyes open in horror as she met House's gaze; he also noticed the ride side of her hip was bleeding, but it wasn't gushing. '_Thank God! She's still alive.' _House thought to himself.

As House slowly approached the bed, the man cast a glare as if daring House to step closer. The man's eyes were bloodshot, swollen; his facial expression was animalistic and his hands were trembling. Instantly House knew it was Jack, and he was high on cocaine.

"Jack, you don…" House started to say.

"SHUT UP!" Jack shouted.

A second later he plunged the knife down at Melissa's throat, but mostly got the gown and pillow, although House did notice a little trickle of blood on her gown. Melissa groaned under her breath as she looked at House, pleading for help; she dare not speak. House was never the brave sort of person, although he had punched a patient's father and a few kids in school, but those were out of necessity, as was this. But, there was never anyone caught in the middle that might be injured due to his actions.

"Jack, I've got what you're looking for. It's in my office! Don't you want it?" House tried to bribe him away from Melissa. Jack looked at him suspiciously and brought the knife up again.

"I'll do it! I swear! It's your fault she doesn't want me anymore!" He said slurring his words as he tried to stay on his feet.

The past few minutes House noticed he'd started to sway a little, which might be a good thing. House slowly limped toward Jack, the whole time Melissa watching House's every move.

"Get rid of the cane! NOW!" Jack screamed.

"Ok, ok." House said as he grabbed the end of the bed with his hand and tossed the cane to the floor. Just like House hoped.

The syringe with the tranquilizer was in his right shoe and the cane would make it difficult to get it in one swift movement. He made sure he kept his foot steady, although it crossed his mind to inject himself on purpose. But for the first time in his life, he wasn't going to let someone down like he did LizBeth. He owed his sister that much and he made a promise to Melissa.

"You know, I've got all night, dude. I don't want clinic duty tomorrow, anyway. You're actually doing me a favor." House said as he walked closer and closer to Jack.

What Jack hadn't noticed, but House did, was that Melissa was slowly bringing her left foot out from under the blanket. Jack kept a keen eye on House and no longer paid her any attention. As House was just two feet from Jack, House looked at Melissa and she winked. Then, quicker than he expected, she brought her foot out toward Jack and side-blinded the left side of his face, while she let out a fairly loud scream. Jack twisted around and flew to the nightstand.

House quickly limped to Jack and pulled out the syringe, but before he knew it Jack had already turned around and tackled House to the floor. The impact forced the syringe out of House's hand and they struggled for a minute or so with Jack wildly punching at House's face and chest. But he was helpless; he didn't have the strength to fight him off.

Cuddy had been watching the scene from the hallway after she'd call the police, and when she found an opportunity she came into the room, grabbed the syringe and plunged it between Jack's shoulder blades. It took a brief moment for the tranquilizer to kick in, and Jack collapsed on top of House. Several attendants came into the room and took Jack off of House and escorted him out of the room. Cuddy kneeled beside House and looked over his bloody nose and a few cuts.

"Are you hurt? Where do you hurt? House, _talk_ to me!" Cuddy begged.

House whispered under his breath and Cuddy had to bring her ear to his mouth to understand him. The next thing she knew she felt his warm lips against hers, and instantly tears of relief dripped down her face.

"Woman, you're getting me wet! Would you stop!" House teased as he tried to sit up.

"No, wait. Let them bring in a gurney to check you out. Your nose might be broken 'cuz there's a lot of blood."

"I'm fine…fi…" House said while he tried sitting up, but the fists at his chest left him short winded.

"Melissa? You okay up there?" House asked.

Several nurses were checking her out to see if the stab wounds were serious. The wound on her right side was only a half-inch deep, but it would need stitches, while her neck wound was really just a scratch.

"Yeah, terrific. I'm ready to run the marathon now! Wanna join me?" Melissa laughed but then gasped for breath and moaned.

"What is it, Melissa?" A nurse asked.

"My side, back..here." She said as she pressed her hand at her back side on the left.

"We need to get her into surgery NOW!" A nurse screamed.

"Wha…what is it? Lisa?" House pleaded, but he already knew what it meant. She overexerted herself when she kicked Jack in the face and the bacterial infection must have shot up to her kidney. Cuddy turned around and nodded her head.

"It looks like the infection spread to her kidney." Cuddy confirmed.

"Shit…Melissa, I'll still be there when you get out, ok? Melis…" House started to say.

"She's out, Dr. House, but she heard you. She nodded her head before she passed out."

Dr. House allowed two attendants to get him onto a gurney and took him to an exam room. He was fine, though bruised, and his nose wasn't broken, but his eyes would be black and blue for a while. House lay on the table alone for a moment when Cuddy walked into the room. She took out a syringe and started to insert it in his left forearm.

"What is that?" House asked, hoping for the right answer.

"Morphine, but if you tell anyone I _will_ fire you!" Cuddy said.

"Thanks, Lisa. Thanks." House closed his eyes and let the morphine do its job. Cuddy leaned over him and spoke softly in his ear until he fell asleep. Then she kissed his lips and rubbed her nose against his, very softly, but lovingly.

"I love you, Greg." She said.

---House woke up on the couch in Cuddy's office, although he didn't remember how he got there. He thought he was just waking up from last night's nap before they went to Wilson's. But when he tried to move his head, pain went searing into his nose, and his chest felt tight. _'Ok, I don't remember getting in a fight with Chase, but I fought wi…oh, hell!'_

"Melissa!" He said her name out loud.

"Greg, she's in surgery. She's fine." House heard Cuddy say from her desk, although her voice did get louder as she spoke. He felt the middle cushion sink in as Cuddy sat beside him.

"You sure she's ok? I saw the blood, an…" House said.

"Yes, baby, she's fine. Just a few stitches and they stopped the infection from spreading. It only slightly affected her kidneys, but antibiotics will take care of that."

"Good. When will she be out? I want to see her before I leave tonight." House asked.

"Who said you're going to leave tonight? There are leftover patients from Friday that haven't seen…" Cuddy teased.

"Shortly. We can stay 'til she gets to recovery. Then you are all mine! How's that knocker of yours feeling? It looks pretty bad."

Cuddy asked him.

"Uh, how are _your_ knockers, Ms. Cuddy?" Cuddy smacked him on his chest and he groaned in pain.

"I'm sorry! I meant your nose! I forg…" She started to say but he grabbed her and pulled her down on top of him. Cuddy tried to be careful not to kick his leg as she positioned her hips beside his.

"Are you ready to go home?" Cuddy asked him.

"It depends. Are you coming staying with me?"

"That depends." Cuddy answered.

"Oh, here we go with the 'talking in circles' again! I'll play along. Depends of what?"

"It depends on whether or not you make love to me." Cuddy said with a sly grin.

"Hmm, wow, now let's see. That's a real tough decision. Hmmm, let me think. Well, I do have a headache and my nose hurts and my leg hur...OW, woman! Are you trying to kill me?" House screamed.

This time when she smacked him on his chest, she didn't apologize, but kissed him. And held him, until a nurse came in to tell them Melissa was out of surgery. They both slowly sat up and Cuddy helped House to Melissa's room. She was still out, of course, but he could see that indeed she was ok. Her B.P. and heart rate were fine, and she had a rosy blush to her cheeks.

"Lisa, it's amazing how much like my sister Melissa is." House said as they stood beside her bed next to each other.

"It's been a long time since I've put so much trust in someone, and let someone trust me. Well, five years isn't a long time. But, still, I'm trying. And you know what? I like it." Cuddy placed her lips on House's cheek and they heard Melissa groan.

"Melissa...hey, girl. I'm here, like I promised. You're fine." House told her as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"Jus' like ewe promisss…" Melissa said before she went back to sleep.

House felt Cuddy's hand against his back and he straightened up and smiled at Melissa, smiled at Cuddy. Smiled for himself, for a change. Because House was still under the influence of the morphine, Cuddy drove him back to her house that night and they made love. It was passionate, loving, sweet, erotic.

In the morning, she dropped him off at his apartment so he could change for the day at the clinic. She thought about taking it easy on him, but she knew she couldn't let that happen. Besides, he still had obligations to the hospital. Until 2042. That was plenty of time for them to grow old together.

'_We'll both be walking with canes, hunched over and snapping at anyone who got in our way. Pure heaven.'_ She thought to herself as she pulled into PPTH.

A little later that morning, House stopped in to see Melissa before he started his shift. _'Anything to keep me from that place of horrors.' _House thought to himself.

Melissa was sitting up and reading the February Issue of Cosmopolitan when House walked in and she looked up.

"Did ya know you can burn almost 1,000 calories just by having sex! Well, of course you need to have an hour of foreplay, stand on your head for two hours and then have sex for three. I'm gonna have to try that."

"Yeah, I know. It works, too. Why do you think I'm so lean and trim?" House answered with a grin.

"Are you...holy cow! Did _he_ do that to you? I really am sorry for yesterday."

"I defended myself pretty good, you know!" House chided then pointed to his eye. He touched his nose on purpose then let out a yelp.

"So, how are you feeling this morning?"

"Great. I mean, I'm sore from having my guts ripped out and splayed all over the floor, but other than that, great." She said, but there was something in her eyes that bothered him. He thought he'd seen them before. In LizBeth. He lowered the bedrail and sat on the foot of the bed.

"When did the Dr. say you can go back to rehab?" House asked. He thought maybe that was what was bothering her.

"He said I can leave on Thursday, but I don't want to go back."

"Why not?"

"Because, Jack is out of my life now and I only got the coke from him. I can see a therapist anywhere." She said, sadly.

"Did Dr. Stafford agree to that?" House asked.

"Well, he doesn't quit know yet. You can just kinda forget about calling him when I'm released."

"Melissa, you know I can't do that."

"Yeah, well, I tried." She said, throwing the magazine on the nightstand.

"So, you like her, huh?"

"Who?"

"That lady that was here yesterday. The one that rescued you."

"She most certainly did not rescue me!" He laughed.

"You two make a nice couple." House didn't know what to say.

"Greg?"

"Yeah?" House said as he stood up.

"Thank you for everything you've done for me. It's nice to know there are people around that do keep their promises." She said with a smile.

"Sure." He said humbly. "Here, I want you to take my cell phone number. I don't give it out to just _anyone_, so make sure you don't lose it." House said teasing her then left her room.

House walked into the conference room with a pep in his step and a smile on his face. Cameron looked at Chase, Chase looked at Foreman, and Rog continued to read the '1,000 Symptoms to Diagnose.' House chuckled under his breath as he poured coffee.

"What's so funny?" Foreman asked.

"Nothing. Ok, we're back to normal. Well, whatever normal is considered to Denise the Menace here." House said pointing to Rog. He looked up from the book oblivious that House had even walked in.

"Good morning, Sir!" Rog said as he closed the book, but the book was so thick that when he closed it, his forefinger was caught in the pages and he smashed his finger. The doctors snickered and House shook his head.

"Okay, then. Let me go over a few rules you all may have forgotten since I've been gone." House started to say. Rog pulled out a notepad and pen to start writing what House said.

"Rule #1: I like Reubens for lunch, dry. You will take turns buying me lunch, and occasionally dinner." He said, staring Rog down while he wrote it on the paper.

"Rule #2: Never disagree with me. I am always right. Well, except for when I'm wrong, which has only been once in my life."

"Rule #3: Never lie to me, because I have a lie detector device here on my belt." He grabbed his pager.

"Rule #4: I am open-minded in hearing your diagnose hypothesis, unless it is completely stupid. Then, I shall tell you. And you may not speak for 10 minutes.

"Rule #5 Never, ever address me as Sir. Address me as Dr., Master, Your Royal Highness, but _never_ Sir."

House tried to think of some more but couldn't at the moment. He walked over to Rog, stood over his shoulder and was shocked at watching Rog writing every rule he'd said. House looked at Foreman and shook his head. Chase tried not to bust out laughing, but Foreman chuckled.

"Ok, I have to head downstairs for Dr. Cuddy. I mean, for clinic duty. I'll be in exam room #3, but tell patients I'm in room #27."

"Excuse me, Sir...your roy...Dr., we don't have a room #27." Rog said.

"Yes, we do. Refer to my rule # 2. I'm sure Rog here can keep you all busy by reading from the book. Cameron, make sure you take notes. I'm reviewing them later." He said as he walked out the door. Dr. House walked down to the clinic and signed in at 11:10.

"Dr., you're late." House heard that familiar voice behind him. He turned around to see Cuddy standing there looking absolutely beautiful. But, she always had been. _'She just looks that beautiful after I ravaged her for hours...'_ He told himself.

"Get that grin off your face. There's a patient in room 1." Cuddy said, then turned on her heels and walked back to her office. But not without turning around and winked at him as the door closed behind her.

House turned to the nurse at the station and realized she had seen the wink. "Uh, Dr. Cuddy watched Stevie for me. Do you want to watch him next? He gets a diet of cheeeese." The nurse wrinkled her nose and went back to typing in the computer.

House opened the door to the exam room and saw a woman of about 17 sitting on the table. Her shoes were on the floor and she was swinging her feet.

"Uh, are you letting your feet dry out? It's better if you blow on them, _if_ you can handle the stench." He said as he opened the file.

"I-em Landa." The woman said, with an obvious Australian accent.

"No, it's Greg. Dr. Greg. You know, like Dr. Phil, but I have more hair and I'm sexier than he is. Are you Australian?" He asked while she just looked at him blankly.

"Nao, I-em Canadian. We just sound Australian." She answered back, quite amused at herself. House cleared his throat.

"So, you went shopping, huh? You should have been shopping for shoes. Ok, let me see your foot." She crossed her leg over her knee to show the inside of her foot, where the blister was on the side.

"Yeah, that's a blister, alright. Do they have blisters in Canada?"

"Yah, buut we call tham oozing so-ares."

"I like you." He said with a grin. "Ok, put some antibiotic cream on it with a band aid. And for Pete's sake, buy sneakers. Pay the bill on your way out." He said as he headed for the door.

"Asn't this a free cleenik?"

"If you can afford to go shopping, you can afford to make a donation."

"Oh, and Dawk, my-ah feet dawnt stink." She snapped.

"They dawnt now!" He said as he closed the door behind him.

The next patient was one for the record books. House walked in to see a man in his early 20's holding a bloody towel to his chin.

"I'm Dr. House. Let me see your chin." The man removed the towel to show a 2-inch gash right below his lip. "Tell me how you got this."

"Well, I made a bet with some of my buddies that I could jump off the roof carrying an umbrella and fly like Mary Poppins."

"Yeah, ok, that's what the form said. I just needed to make sure I read it right. I have two questions. Were you drunk, and did it work?" House asked.

"Yes, and uh, I don't know. But that's the umbrella." He said, pointing to something that was fabric and metal spikes that was ripped to shreds.

"I'd say that was a 'no.' I'll send for a Doctor to stitch you up. And dude, stay away from Walt Disney movies, will ya?" House said as he walked out.

_'Man, I need a vacation.'_ House looked at his watch; it was almost 3:00. He still needed to figure out how Herman got Herpes from Henrietta. He had to think of which room Coma Guy was in, and it finally dawned on him.

He walked into the room, and sure enough, there was Coma Guy. He switched on the t.v. and waited for the show to come on. Just then, his pager went off. 'Conf Rm, 911-Cuddy' He ignored it. The show came on.

His pager went off. 'ConfRm911-4Man' He ignore that. Commercial came on.

His pager went off. 'ConfRm-911me' He ignored it. The show came back on.

His pager went off. 'ConfRm911-CarmenElec'. He quickly stood up, turned off the t.v. and headed to the conference room.

He walked into the conference room. "Ok, 'me' paged me. Who are you and what do you want?"

Everyone was in the room, including Wilson, and they all had gloomy expressions on their faces. "Hey, Wilson." House said as he grabbed a chair next to Chase and sat down. House did notice that Chase and Cameron were sitting together.

Cuddy stood at the head of the table. "Ok, I've brought you all here to give you some good news and bad news." She said as she looked around at the Doctors. Even House didn't know what Cuddy was up to. "The good news is I have a cabin in upstate N.Y. that I have for a few days. There are 6 bedrooms, 5 baths, a hot tub and a deck overlooking a valley with a lake. I spent my summers there. It's beautiful." They all looked at each other bewildered. House turned his head quickly to look at Cuddy because she'd never mentioned the cabin before.

"But Dr. Cuddy, we can't leave the clinic for that long." House protested.

"Uh, I'd have thought you'd be the first to pack, House!" Wilson said.

"Dr. Johannsen is bringing in a crew of interns for the week from Princeton General. We are freee!" She said with a laugh.

"Uh, Cuddy, will there be skiing?" House asked. "Because, you know, I'll be skiing on my butt all the way down the mountain." Everyone laughed.

"No, not where the cabin is. But there's an area off the lake for ice skating. You can put skates on your tushie and we can push you around, how's that? Trust me, it is beautiful. The place is fully stocked with sheets, towels and food."

"Ok, now the bad news. Uh, you have four hours to pack because we are leaving tonight. Foreman, you may bring Michelle; Wilson, Sarah already has her mom lined up to watch Charlie so she can come, and Rog, you may bring a guest if you'd like."

Rog shook his head. "I don't know anyone." He said meekly.

"That's fine. You can still have your own room." She told him.

"Now get home and pack! I'll meet everyone back here at 8pm."

The gang left the room and just left Cuddy and House. She walked over to him and put her arms around his neck from behind him. "Surprise, baby." She whispered in his ear.

"Why did you have to invite everyone, Lisa?" House whined.

"Oh, stop. They all worked very hard the time you were gone, and I told myself when you got back that I'd get the cabin."

"Ok, but I get your room!" He said with a grin.

"No. I'm really putting you in with Rog." She replied.

"You have got t..."

"Oh, calm down! I'm just teasing you."

"But Lisa, Melissa is being released Thursday. I want to be here when she leaves."

"I've got that covered, too. I talked with her doctor and he gave his approval for her to be with us. She'll have her meds and we can teach her how she needs to start eating right. She's all ready to go. Dr. Stafford is bringing her extra clothes from the center."

House turned his head around to look at her. "You are amazing, you know that? I'd really like it if she came before she went ba..." Cuddy gave him a real quick kiss.

"Now, go home and pack!" Cuddy barked at him.

"Lisa, can you bring that black, lace negligee you wore the other night?" House asked excitedly as they headed for the door.

"Uh, no."

House made a childish expression and stomped his foot. "Whhyyy?"

"Because I bought a new one." That brought an immediate smile to his face and they both walked through the door.

"Lisa, I think you're forgetting something." House said as they walked down the hall toward the elevator.

"What? I only bought one negligee."

"I'm talking about something for my leg, the pain. You said you'd check into an alternative for me. It's beginning to bother me."

"Oh, yeah. I've consulted with Don, the new hospital lawyer. He phoned Dr. Stafford to discuss your situation, and we have a meeting lined up for next wee…" Cuddy was interrupted by House.

"Next week! Don't make me throw another chair through a window!"

"You didn't let me finish. In the meantime, an acceptable daily dosage has been agreed upon, and I am to provide you 20mg per day."

"That's not enough! Fine, I'll get Wil…" The elevator door opened and they both got on.

"No, you won't. He has already been instructed that if he prescribes you Vicodin he will be liable and possibly lose his license. He's not about to jeopardize his career for your habit."

"Ouch, that hurt! Ok, but, you're easy to sweet talk so that's not a problem for me."

"Oh, try me." She warned as the elevator door opened and they walked out to her office.

"You know, I only like you bossy in the bedroom, Cuddy." House teased as Cuddy reached for her office door.

"Oh, and another thing. A woman has the power over the man." She said as she narrowed her eyes and walked through the door.

"What the hell does that mean?" House screamed through the door but Cuddy didn't answer. He just stood at the door glaring at her. He sighed and walked out of the hospital.

Will House be able to cope w/out his Vicodin? What will happen with Melissa?


	6. Chapter 6

This is a fun chapter. Their little adventure in New York is a blast...literally because someone gets SHOT...oops giggle

**CHAPTER SIX**

While the gang was home quickly packing for the mountains of upstate New York, House rushed home to make a phone call. He had only two Vicodin left (that Cuddy didn't know of) and he was starting to feel the panic sink in because he knew he couldn't make it until Friday. He called Kyle's sister; Kyle had given House her number while he was still in rehab. The phone rang but there was no answer. He cursed and slammed the phone down. He went to his bedroom, grabbed a few things and threw them in a duffle bag. He went back to the phone and dialed her again. Again, there was no answer. Well, if Cuddy was permitted to give him something for the pain, maybe the next few days would be a test for him. He had to at least try. He had Melissa to support, and he knew he could count on her to support him.

House was the last to arrive at the hospital. There was a 15-passenger van to accommodate everyone for the trip north. As he approached the van, Sarah walked up to him and gave him a hug.

"That's from Charlie." She said and grabbed his bag and took it to the van.

'_That little kid is starting to get on my nerves.'_ House thought to himself. Then he grinned, because he wasn't, really.

He said hello to everyone and they got in the van for the four-hour trip. Cuddy found a friend to drive them up there, but he'd be back Friday morning to pick everyone up. Cuddy sat in the front passenger seat, with House behind her so he could stretch his leg out; to his left were Melissa then Rog; the second row had Cameron, Foreman and Michelle, and in the back were Chase, Sarah and Wilson.

'_Fresh meat.'_ House thought to himself. He still hadn't figured out why, or how, Chase knew about the cocaine Melissa had in her bed table. He lied about Chase finding it. But Chase took every opportunity he could to rat out House and it just confused him why he, for once, defended him.

The gang was having a good time the first hour and a half, laughing and joking with each other like they had been friends since high school. House noticed Melissa was a little quiet. He figured she must not be feeling well.

"Hey, Melissa? Wanna play 'I spy?'" Rog asked her because he noticed she had been quiet, too.

"Thanks, but no." She answered.

House snickered to himself. _'He's _such_ a kid! I've got to keep that boy away from her.'_

An hour later, everyone was quiet. They were either asleep or staring out the window at the view that passed them by.

"Ok! Who needs a pit stop?" Cuddy called out.

Everyone mumbled 'yes', but Melissa and Rog, who stayed asleep during Cuddy's announcement. Melissa's head was on Rog's shoulder and his head was against the headrest facing her. No one had the heart to wake them up. _'They actually looked quite sweet together.' _Cuddy thought.

'_Uggh, I see I'm too late.'_ House thought to himself after he saw the two, then reached for the door and slid it open. Michelle jumped out first and made a mad dash for the ladies room, followed by everyone else that was awake (well, the men went to the men's room). Chase was the last one out and House had purposefully waited to get him alone.

"So, how's your love life?" House asked Chase as they stood outside the restroom with their hands in their pockets. They really didn't have to go in, as they just needed to stretch their legs.

"Don't have one." Chase answered coldly.

"That's not what I heard from the most recent rumor."

"Right. The most recent rumor is about you and Cuddy. What do you want, House?"

"Oh, you're getting good. I want to know what you told Cuddy about the cocaine."

"What cocaine?" Chase asked, playing dumb. "Oh, that. I told her it was real sugar from Australia that my cousin sent me and I gave you some. I told her it wasn't cocaine."

"Bull! She flushed it down the toilet." House told him.

"I also told her to do that because I'd found a meal worm in my sugar at home."

"Ok, but, I guess my real question is WHY did you lie to Cuddy?" House asked. "You find every opportunity you can to bury me and you didn't. Why?"

"The truth? Because, at first I was furious at you for not telling me Dad was dying. That's why I told the review board about you bribing Kayla's surgical doctor. But when I thought it over, I regretted telling the board. You did make a promise to Dad, and I finally understand why you didn't tell me. So, I guess I owed you one. And I don't want to know where you got the coke."

House looked at Chase in bewilderment. "Ok." House said, contently, as Michelle came out of the ladies room and the two went walking off. House needed someone to harass, so he went back to the van to mess with Rog and Melissa.

In the ladies room, Cuddy and Cameron were just finishing washing their hands. "Dr. Cud…" Cameron started to ask.

"Lisa, please, just while we're up at the cabin. This is like an employee morale-booster week." Cuddy told her.

"Ok. How do you feel about House?"

Cuddy looked at her confused then understood. "I'm learning. That's all I can say. He has changed since he's been at the rehab center, and he's coming around." She said with a smile. "Allison, I know what you're going through, believe me. But he has a lot of issues to deal with and I really think you'd just get in the way." Cameron gave her a snotty look.

"No...no. That's not what I meant. I meant he'd just hurt you more than you think he will. And with me, I can help him."

"Help him? And I can't?" Cameron snapped.

"Look, I've been through this with him before. All I am saying is that I know what to expect from him." Cameron stormed out of the restroom. She looked in the mirror and thought to herself, _'what have I done now?'_

As House walked up to the van he noticed the driver standing by the curb smoking a cigarette. He slid open the door as quietly as he could then screamed, "WE'RE HERE!" Rog jerked awake so fast he accidentally pushed Melissa's head off his shoulder and her body slid behind his back.

"What th…" Rog started to say. Melissa groaned then grabbed the side of her stomach as she sat up. House first thought she'd busted some stitches and started to get into the van, but Melissa stopped him.

"You are so mean!" Melissa fussed at him. "Doc, when you least expect it, expect it!" She warned him.

"OH! You're gonna give me money? Tha…" House started to say.

"Are we at a rest stop?" Melissa asked. House nodded his head and she scooted over slowly to get out. House held out his hand to help her and he caught the expression on Rog's face glance at him nastily. So, when Melissa was standing on her own, he let Rog help her to the ladies room.

Ten minutes later they were on the road again and everyone stayed awake for the remaining 1-1/2 hour drive. The scenery outside changed from an inch of snow on the grass and bushes outside the hospital to a foot of snow piled up on the side of the clear highway. Clumps of snow held onto barren tree branches as best they could until a gust of wind sent them cascading down below. Cars and trucks passed them with skis piled on top the luggage rack, and an occasional trailer being pulled with a snowmobile or two.

"Oh! I can't believe I forgot about the snowmobiles! We've got two and there's an awesome trail not far from the cabin." Cuddy said excitedly.

House smiled at the thought of racing the snowmobiles because he hadn't been driving his bike because it was too cold to. But a snowmobile was perfect. He loved speed, with the air hitting his face and making he force himself to breath. He felt so alive when he rode his bike. That was the only time he felt really alive. Well, aside from making love to Cuddy.

A short time later a little past midnight, the van pulled into a long, narrow, winding snow packed road to the cabin. Everyone had their eyes on the two-story log cabin nestled in a cove of tall pine trees as the van came to a stop. They all got out of the van and stood looking at the cabin and the surrounding area. There was a wide front porch that circled around the back that faced the lake.

"Lisa, it's beautiful!" Cameron exclaimed as the driver brought the suitcases to the door so they could take them in.

The men, except House, grabbed the luggage and followed everyone else to the front door. Cuddy unlocked it and they eagerly entered, all except Cameron, who walked around the porch to the back porch. They stepped into the living room with vaulted ceiling and rows of logs as the support beams. The couch and chairs were a deep tan that blended well with the wood and a 12-seater wooden dining room table with wooden chairs to match. The kitchen was to the right in the back of the cabin.

"Ok, you guys! You are on your own to find your own bedrooms! But the room called 'Birch' is mine!" Cuddy said as she headed to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee.

"Lisa, do you mind if I nap for a second before I head back?" The driver asked before she entered the kitchen.

"Of course, A.J.!" She said as she walked back to him and handed him a key. "This is for the shed you'll find in front of the van. It's not really a shed but like a mini-suite. Make yourself at home and sleep as long as you need."

Cuddy walked to the kitchen and finished preparing the pot of coffee, then turned to get the heat pump turned on now that they were there. She was stopped by House standing in the doorway, watching her.

"Which room is ours? The Birch? Great!" House said.

"Greg, I don't think it's appropriate we share a bedroom with everyone here."

"Why not? We're all grown ups, well, except that Rog."

Cuddy shook her head. "We'll see if the gang has any problems with the sleeping arrangements. We might be able to work something out." She said as she gave him a quick peck on the cheek before she walked out of the kitchen.

House happened to glance out the window and saw Cameron turn her head away quickly. House still had his coat on so he unlocked the sliding glass door to the back porch and walked out.

"Wow, it is beautiful out here." House said. Cameron didn't say anything.

"I wonder if there are any good deer out here for shooting! The snow on the ground is great for tracking with their blood in the snow." Cameron turned around in a huff and was just about to reach the door.

"Whoah, Cameron, hold up. I was just kidding. Will you lighten up!"

She turned around and walked toward him. "Do you love her?" She asked.

House contemplated for a moment. "Yes, I do Cameron. And I do care about you, really. You're an awesome woman. But I'm not

in love with you. Do you know the difference between loving someone and being in love?" She looked at him like she was about to start to yell, but then her face softened as she understood what he was saying.

"Ok. I get it." She said softly. "I hope you two are happy together."

"Cameron? Do you love Chase?"

"I don't know. I want you. But your words keep coming back, 'I don't love, I need.' It's like I don't know what I need anymore."

"Cam..Allison. Trust me, you'll fall into your own at your own pace. Someone once told me that." House told her, starting to shiver from the cold.

"They were smart." She said as she walked to the sliding glass door.

"Yes, she was." House said reflectively and the walked back into the cabin.

Cuddy had just walked back into the living room from turning on the heat pump via the generator. Rog, Foreman and Chase came bounding down the stairs. Chase instantly noticed House and Cameron standing close to each other, but that was only because the couch was in the way.

"Ok, it's all settled." Foreman stated. "Sarah and Wilson are in Elm; Michelle and I took Oak; Rog and Chase are sharing Apple; Melissa chose Cedar for her and you, Cameron, and House so that left Maple. It's all pink and flowery and pretty, just the way you like it." Foreman teased.

"Oh, please tell me there is a teddy bear on the bed, too!" He joked back. "And why didn't you just name the rooms after the seven dwarfs?"

"Because, there are only six bedrooms! Where are the girls?" Cuddy asked.

"Getting ready for bed. Sir...How...Dr..." Rog stuttered as he spoke to House. "You might want to look at Melissa. She looks a little pale." House nodded his head.

"Is Wilson one of the girls now, too? I _knew_ there was a reason I was attracted to him." House said. Everyone laughed by Rog, who looked confused and horrified.

"Relax, Rog, I'm just joking." Rog still didn't smile.

"Ok, you guys. Get up when you want. In the back room there's a pool table with a full cabinet of liquor an..." She stopped talking and watched Chase, Foreman and Rog run to the back room. "...and a fresh pot of coffee. Help yourselves to anything you find!" Cuddy yelled at them.

"Well, I'm off to bed myself." She said as she pulled a bottle out of her pocket, took out two pills and gave them to House. He eagerly took and swallowed them. "Goodnight, you two." She hid a wink at House as she walked up the stairs.

House noticed the look of confusion on Cameron's face. "It's okay. It's doctor's orders." He said.

"Well, let's go check on Melissa. Uh, House? Why did you ask her here? I mean, it's just a little weird." Cameron asked.

"You know what's weird? Those colored marshmallows in Lucky Charms. I mean, they're not charms you wear on a bracelet. And you can't cast spells with them, so like, where do they really come from?" House said sarcastically. Cameron smiled. A genuine, _'you're sooo annoying' _smile then walked toward the stairs, and House followed her.

Across from the top of the stairs was a full bath, and to the left there were two rooms: first was House's then Cameron/Melissa's. At the end of the hall on the right was Cuddy's room. To the right of the stairs was Rog and Chase's room then beside that was Foreman and Michelle's, then another bathroom with a window looking out over the lake.

House peeked into his room then smiled when he saw Cuddy's was just diagonal from his. They walked into Melissa's room to see her in bed with the covers up to her chin.

"Hey, guys. Save some liquor for me." She teased.

"Foreman said you weren't feeling well." House said as he stepped toward her.

"I think it might just be a cold. I started getting it yesterday." She said. House bent down and felt her forehead with the back of his hand.

"You are warm. Where are your antibiotics you brought with you?" He asked.

"In my duffle bag at the end of the bed." House turned to look at Cameron and she grabbed the bag and searched for her prescriptions. She took them out and handed them to House, then the bottle of water on the nightstand she handed to Melissa.

"You guys, I don't want you to fuss over me. I'm just tired, that's all. You're supposed to have fun, not worry over a patient." Melissa told them as she took the pills.

"You are not a patient, Melissa. You deserve this as much as we do." Cameron told her. House gave her a look of appreciation and headed for the door.

"Don't stay up too late talking about me...I mean men...I mean Chase." He said with a grin then closed the door behind him.

He could hear the guys downstairs hitting the balls with the pool stick, and he looked at Cuddy's door then decided he'd wait until it was quiet before he snuck in her room.

House walked into his room and changed into sweats and sweater. It just hit him the past 15 minutes how exhausted he was. But he also wanted to be with Cuddy. This was the first time in quite a while he could feel the stress from the past few months skim out of his every muscle in his body. For once, nothing bothered him. Well, his father still did, but this wasn't the place to think about his father. Not now. He lay in bed and thought of what they were going to be doing tomorrow.

The next thing he knew he heard girlish laughter coming from the room next door and voices downstairs in the living room. He thought he smelled bacon frying, which only told him how hungry he was. He rolled over and looked at the clock; it read 9:15. He groaned and sat up. He looked out the window and could tell there was a little snow overnight. He opened the door and went downstairs.

A huge, roaring fire was in the fireplace, the t.v. was on to the Morning Show, and sitting on the couch were Foreman and Chase. Rog was sitting on the floor reading another book and Michelle and Cuddy were in the kitchen making breakfast.

"I'm surprised to see you three up this early. What time did you guys go to bed?" House asked.

"Around 3:30, Mommy? Is that okay?" Foreman said. House gave him a dirty look.

"Where are Wilson and Sarah?" House asked groggily as he headed for the kitchen for coffee.

"Still sleeping, S...Dr." Rog answered.

_'Oh, so he _does_ listen when he reads.' _House thought to himself.

"Well, hello, House! 'Bout time you got up. Are the girls still sleeping?" Cuddy asked as she handed him a cup of coffee.

He nodded 'thanks' and leaned against the cupboard. "I heard them giggling. Why do girls _do_ that? That's just so...guurrly!" House said.

"Because, Dr. House, us girls talk about guys, and there are just sooo many stupid things they do that make us giggle!" Michelle told him as she spooned out a big bowl of scrambled eggs.

"Michelle, call me Greg. But just while we're here, ok? After all, you're going to be family soon." He teased her.

Michelle put the dirty pan in the sink and washed it quickly as Cuddy walked toward the door. "Where were you last night?" She whispered as she walked by him.

"I fell asleep. Sorry."

"You won't tonight." She said with a grin and walked out.

"Come on, girls! Breakfast is ready!" Cuddy hollered upstairs.

"Geez, woman! Why don't you just get a cow bell!" House screamed back as he walked from the kitchen to the dining room. There were running feet coming down the stairs and Cameron jumped over the last step.

"Good morning!" She said.

"Where's Melissa?" Cuddy asked as she brought a basket of biscuits to the table.

"She's getting Wilson and Sarah. What do you need brought in, Lisa?" Cameron asked.

"There's a bowl of fruit in the kitchen, and grab the jams, please." Cuddy answered.

"Is she feeling better?" House asked her as he sat down with the boys.

"Much better. Missy is a trip! She's so cool!" Cameron said as she placed the items on the table and sat down next to Chase. House caught the 'Missy' and gave her a strange look. A few minutes later Melissa came down the stairs to the table and sat next to Cameron.

"'Morning. They'll be down in a sec. They said not to wait for them." Which was fine, because the men already had food on their plates and were eating.

When Wilson and Sarah came downstairs, the whole gang ate. And ate, and ate.

"I'm glad you all are filling up on breakfast. Who's going to be the first to get on the snowmobiles?" Cuddy asked.

"ME!" Melissa hollered out. Everyone looked at her like she'd lost her mind; more like part of her large intestine. "Laugh, you guys! Geez!" She laughed and they all joined in.

"Ok, why don't we do this: Let's all go right outside the cabin and use the driveway as a race course? It's certainly long enough." Melissa said. "I'll keep the tally and Sarah, Cameron, Cuddy and I can be the cheerleaders!"

"I don't think so, girl!" Cuddy protested. "I'm in!"

"I've got Wilson!" House yelled.

"House, I don't think I'm up f..." Wilson said.

"What? Are you chicken?" He egged him on.

"Ok, ok. Hold on, guys. Lisa, do you have paper?" Melissa asked. Cuddy stood up, grabbed a notepad and handed it to Melissa.

"Ok, are you all in on this?" They all said yes at the same time.

"Ok, fine. You guys finish eating and I'll get the tournament started. I've got to take my meds anyway." Melissa stood up and went upstairs.

With the mention of meds, House shot a quick glance at Cuddy, who caught his eye. But he realized his leg wasn't bothering him too bad, and she shook his head. She smiled, stood up and went to get more coffee.

An hour later, the whole gang was outside the cabin with the snowmobiles gassed up and ready to go.

"Ok, y'all! This is it! The Premier PPTH Snowmobile Contest! Here is how the races will go to get to the Champ-een!

#1 - Michelle and Sarah; #2 - Chase and Foreman, of course!; #3 - Cuddy and Rog; and finally, House and Wilson. Winners of the four races will then be paired up until we get to one! Y'all brave enough to do this?" She hollered. "Ok, Foreman marked the starting line at the beginning of the driveway with a black umbrella so you can easily see it. We can see from here, and Cuddy will wave her American flag to start!"

Everyone hollered and applauded. Rog, who was all excited, jumped up and down and his foot accidentally caught the end of House's cane and House almost fell over. Rog apologized up and down, and House playfully picked the cane up and raised it over his head like he was going to hit him with it. Rog covered his face and whined for House not to hit him.

"Rog, you know what we're going to do as soon as we are done with the races? We're initiating you into our club by getting you hammered." Rog just looked at him.

"Don't worry, Rog. His bark is worse than his bite." Foreman said as he padded his shoulder.

"OK! Michelle and Sarah! You two are up first!" Melissa said and the two headed to them. They started them up like they knew what they were doing, but Michelle had trouble steering it. Sarah hollered a few hints and they rode them down the driveway to the umbrella.

Cuddy yelled, "Ready? Set? GO!" The engines roared and Sarah got an immediate lead over Michelle. Michelle was laughing because she had trouble steering it and avoiding smacking into a tree. Some were yelling for Sarah, and some were yelling for Michelle.

It was an easy win for Sarah as she turned off the engine, got off and bowed politely. She turned around to see Michelle finally reach her. She walked over to Michelle and helped her off.

"Oh, my God! That was great! I may have lost, but that was my first time on a snowmobile! I wanna do it again!" Michelle said laughing as she walked toward Foreman. He reached out and gave her a hug and told her they could go out later, just the two of them.

"OK! That's Sarah for the second round! Chase and Foreman, you're next!" Melissa said as she wrote something on the notepad.

Chase and Foreman got to the beginning of the driveway on the snowmobiles (hereon referred to as SM) and they raced even doing that.

"Oh, God, this is going to be good." House said sarcastically with a grin.

"Ready? Set? GO!" Cuddy shouted as she brought the flag down. The engines revved and they both took off in a dead heat. Michelle and Cameron were hollering for Foreman and Rog and Cuddy were shouting for Chase. House stood back with a huge smile on his face. As the two got closer, the gang could see their mouths moving like they were yelling at each other. At one point Foreman stuck his foot out pretending to push Chase off course. But that didn't work.

Just as they approached Cuddy holding the flag, Foreman got a last minute burst of power and crossed the 'finish line' first. The men got off the SM and shook hands, but Chase got a solid grip on Foreman's hand and maneuvered him to the snow-packed ground.

"You cheated! You pushed me out of the way!" Chase said laughing.

"No, I didn't! My foot slipped!" Foreman lied.

"Do over! Do over!" Chase screamed as he stood up and looked at Melissa. "Well, Judge Melissa, what's the verdict?"

"Ok, let's take a vote. Who votes for Chase?" She said. Cuddy, Rog and Sarah raised their hand for him.

"And those for Foreman?" Wilson, and of course Michelle raised their hand.

"Now, wait, Greg! You didn't vote! Who is it going to be?" Melissa asked.

House looked at the two men with a calculating grin on his face. "Whoever offers to take the most of my clinic hours." He said seriously.

"Now, Greg! That's not fair!" Cuddy said.

"Two hours!" Foreman piped up.

"Two and a half hours!" Chase challenged.

"Three, and that's my highest offer!" Foreman said, laughing.

"Fine! But you still cheated!" Chase said then they all broke out in a round of laughter.

"Great! Nice negotiating, boys! Ok, Lisa and Rog, you two are up!" Melissa said, jotting in the notepad.

"Rog, do you have a beneficiary on your life insurance policy?" House chided him.

"Yes, I do. I'm leaving all my money to my guinea pig, Holister." He said seriously, then burst out laughing and got on the SM.

Cuddy handed the flag to Chase, got on the SM and they both headed down the driveway.

"Allie, would you mind hollering out for them to start? My side is starting to hurt from the scream...OH, CRAP! I don't have you down! I'm sorry! We can work something out." Melissa said sincerely.

"It's no problem, Missy, really. I wouldn't want to embarrass the 'boys' by beating them by a mile." Cameron told her.

"Excuse me? That sounds like a personal bet to me, Cameron! Might I take you up on the bet tomorrow?" Chase asked.

"Sure. You'll need a day to practice." She laughed then raised the flag. "OK! Ready? Set? GO!"

Cuddy didn't rev the engine up as much as it could have gone and Rog took off like he was a wad of paper being pinged out from a rubber band. He was halfway up the driveway when Cuddy revved the engine to try to catch up to him. But it was too late. He crossed the 'finish line' before her.

He turned off the engine and Chase and Foreman applauded and screamed loudly. When she approached them and got off she said with a smile on her face, "I let you win."

"HEY! One up on the new guy! Way to go! You'll fit right in!" House hollered, laughing.

"Why didn't you tell me you drove one before?" Cuddy fussed at him.

"Hey, I have to keep _some_ secrets, don't I?" He teased.

"Ok! Now the _real_ test! Greg and James, you guys are next!" Melissa said, grabbing her side.

"You okay, Melissa?" House asked as he took a few steps toward her.

"Yeah, I just need some aspirin. It's ok. We're almost finished."

House handed Melissa his cane and he limped to the SM, sat down, started the engine right away and raced down the driveway. Wilson hadn't even sat on the SM yet.

When they were at the starting line, Cameron raised the flag. "OK! Read..." House revved the engine and headed up the driveway before she even finished. Wilson screamed something as he, too, revved up the engine and chased down House.

House kept looking over his shoulder to see how close Wilson was but he knew he had a solid win. He reached Cameron holding the flag, and she didn't even have it raised in the air to bring it down as he crossed the line.

House got a big smile on his face and turned to look at Wilson coming toward them. He had an angry pout on his face.

"You suck! You are _such_ a cheater! That was the lowest of low!" Wilson screamed as he got off the SM.

"Hey, I'm crippled, man!" House tried defending himself.

"Ok, well, what do you say, James? You gonna let him have the win?" Melissa asked him.

"Yeah, you can have it, House, but I'm never lending you money again!" Wilson said as they shook hands.

For the second round, the race between Sarah and Foreman, Sarah beat him hands down. Then, it was Rog against House.

"Now, Rog, you know I'm your boss, right?" House asked Rog as they both got on the SMs and House started his up.

"Yes, I do." He answered.

"And you do know you have to let your bo...?"

Rog started the engine. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

"I sa..." Rog revved the engine again.

"You are gonna lose!" House screamed as he kicked the accelerator and took off down the driveway.

"Go, Rog!" Foreman screamed as he followed behind House.

Cameron raised the flag and yelled, "Ready? Se..." And Rog took off before she could finish. The gang could hear House scream and took off after Rog. Everyone, including Cuddy, was cheering for Rog. House slowly inched up on Rog as they got closer to Cameron.

"...fy...erd!" They heard House scream. Rog kept the power on and they were neck and neck at the finish line.

"Rog! It's Rog! Rog won!" Cameron screamed as she jumped up and down as the two parked the SMs and turned off the engines.

"Dude, you are SO fired!" House told Rog as he got off the SM. Melissa walked to him and handed him the cane.

"Melissa, you ok? You look pale again." House asked her as he grabbed her waist and walked her to the stairs.

"I'm fine, Greg! I'm just cold." She told him.

"Ok, guys, I have a patient here I need to attend to. Sarah, my money is on _you_! Kick his butt!" House said as they climbed the stairs and walked into the cabin.

House and Melissa walked into the foyer and took off their boots and coats, hanging the coats up on a rack hanging from the wall. Melissa went to the fireplace and sat down in front of it.

"Do you want some tea?" House asked.

"Only if you're getting some." House nodded his head and walked into the kitchen.

They heard shouts and cheers and the engines from the SMs from outside. A few minutes later, everyone walked back in except Cuddy and Sarah, who were putting the SMs back in the shed.

"Man that was awesome! I can't believe you choked after that stunt you pulled with House, Rog!" Foreman said laughing as they took off their boots and coats.

Just then House walked by them with a dirty look on his face, glaring Foreman down. "What comes around, goes around, Rog!" House said sarcastically with a grin and walked into the living room.

"The kettle is still hot and I started a fresh pot of coffee." House said to them as he handed the mug to Melissa.

"Robert, do you want to go for a walk? It doesn't feel that cold outside." Cameron asked.

Chase was in the middle of taking off his right boot when he slid his foot back in and buttoned his coat. "Sure, sounds great." He said as they walked back out the door.

Everyone sat around the fire and drank to get warm. Melissa and Rog sat on the couch; House and Foreman were both sitting in chairs, with Michelle at Foreman's feet; Wilson sat on the floor in front of the fire and Cuddy and Sarah were in the kitchen getting a huge dinner ready.

"Melissa, you've really got to take it easy." House told her as she threw her feet on the couch, with her feet touching Rog's thigh.

"I know. It's weird just standing outside for an hour would tire me out. I'll be fine. I'll sit back and relax and chill."

"Wow, House! I'm not sure how I like this new 'domesticated' boss I'm seeing! You're really starting to scare me." Foreman teased, and House gave him a death glare.

"Come on, Foreman! Let's shoot some pool!" Rog said.

"I get winner!" Wilson shouted as he stood up.

"I _knew_ I should have believed those rumors about you, Wilson!" House teased.

"You're just jealous, House." Wilson told him as they walked to the back room, but after Rog hit the corner of an end table and sent a vase falling to the carpet but luckily it didn't break. His face turned bright red and followed the guys to the room.

"I'm going to see if the girls need any help before I lie down myself. Do you two need any refills?" Michelle asked. They both said they were fine, and that left House and Melissa in the living room alone.

"Doc Greg, can ya tell me one thing?" Melissa asked him as she pushed herself down on the couch and covered herself with the blanket. "Why did you ask me here? And what happened to your sister?"

"That's two…well, actually three. I'll only answer one." House said with a grin.

She looked at him because she knew he'd eventually break. She broke him a few times at the rehab center, but she never asked about his sister. She could see the pain in his eyes and she never pushed the subject. House looked at her as if he were trying to decide whether he should tell her. But he did. He told her all about LizBeth and how close they were and how she died.

"And I asked you because I didn't want to come here knowing you would be released on Thursday and I wouldn't be able to say goodbye. Cuddy worked that out. I guess I wanted you to come because you remind me so much of my sister, and I miss her."

"Greg, I'm sooo proud of you for saying that!" Melissa said as she tried to sound like Dr. Stafford. "Seriously, you're lucky to have these guys, you know that, right?" She asked him sleepily.

"I don't know if you can call it lucky." House replied. "But don't tell anyone I like them, ok? I mean, they tell me Wilson is my only friend but so…" House stopped talking because he heard a snore from Melissa.

---Chase and Cameron's walk had been eventful. They walked down the path at the back of the house to the lake. It had been snowing about 30 minutes and started to get windy. The edges of the lake were frozen, and there were a few branches on top of the ice chunks. There were several Canadian Geese in the water off in the distance, and the reflection from the snowy trees shown on the frigid lake water.

"So, what do you think of House and Cuddy?" Chase asked Cameron as they approached the lake.

"I think it's great." She said, trying to sound honest.

"And it doesn't bother you?" He said as they turned a corner and the whole lake was in front of them.

"No, not in th…oh, this is beautiful. The view is even better than on the deck. I wonder what it's like in the summer." Cameron said.

"I'm sure not as beautiful as you are, Allison." Chase said, but it came out like from a ten year-old boy to his crush. She turned to look at him.

"Wow, you need to work on your flirt lines." She said then laughed.

"Hey! That was classic!" He told her.

"Classically bad!" She said then started to walk back to the cabin and he quickened his step to follow her.

"Cameron, have you thought about what we last talked about?"

'What was that?"

"You said you liiiiked me…you want to daaaate me…you wanna kisssss me…" Chase teased like Sandra Bullock in the Ms. America Pageant movie.

She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, Robert, maybe I do. Do you?"

"It depends on if you do?" Chase answered.

"I don't know, Chase. What about you?" They went back and forth a few times until they both laughed.

Chase put his left arm around Cameron and pulled her toward him. "Yes, I do, Allison."

"Uh, that's sounds like we're exchanging wed…never mind." Cameron said when she realized she'd said it out loud.

"Maybe one day." Chase said, and they kissed, like it was the first time they'd kissed. And he liked it. They both liked it.

Back at the cabin, House looked at his watch and General Hospital was on in a few minutes so he switched on the t.v. Wilson came in from the pool room and sat heavily in the other chair.

"So, how'd it go in there? Did those youngins wear you out?" House asked.

"Yes, but not from pool. I forget sometimes I can't do everything I used to do before the car accident. I just think I'll be back to normal but then my body tells me otherwise." Wilson told him.

"Welcome to my world." House said as he headed to the kitchen for another cup of coffee before the soap started.

"…en he led me to the bathroom an…hey Greg!" Cuddy was saying, cutting herself off after she saw him standing in the doorway with a grin.

"Talking about me again, ladies?" House asked as he walked to the coffee pot.

"Yeah, we're just standing around talking about men and the stupid things you do!" Sarah laughed.

"What's for dinner? It smells good." House asked, ignoring what Sarah said.

"Turtle crap!" Cuddy answered him seriously.

"Excuse me?"

"No," Cuddy laughed. "We're having lasagna. But turtle crap is what Gran'ma Cuddy would make with macaroni and hamburger, green peppers and tomato paste."

House shook his head and walked back in the living room. The couch had a better view of the t.v., so he sat at the end of the couch where Melissa slept. She turned in her sleep but didn't wake up. Wilson was sitting in the recliner and he, too, had fallen asleep. He wished he could fall asleep that fast sometimes.

The soap started and 15 minutes into the show there came a ticker at the bottom of the screen that read: 'Onondaga County under Winter Storm Warn…" House hollered for the ladies in the kitchen to come out, which made Wilson jump awake, but Melissa only stirred a little.

"….ing until Thursday, April 28th-3:00a. front coming in from the West with moisture coming up from the south will produce lake effect snow bands - up to 25 inches of snow are possible, with wind gusts 55-60mph expected with this storm…Snow to begin falling this afternoon and continue through tomorr…"

"It has already started snowing." Chase said as he and Cameron walked through the door and started taking off their coats and boots.

"Well, I'd better call A.J. to come get us early." Cuddy said as she went back to the kitchen.

"You know, I've always wanted to get snowed in with Angelina Jolie." House said.

"And she's _where_? Actually, Julia Roberts, House." Wilson said.

"And she's where?" House repeated like Wilson as best as he could. "Ok, fine, you can have Julia and I'll have Angelina, too." House told him. Sarah smiled, shook her head and headed back to the kitchen.

"TOO? What do yo…" House was interrupted by Cuddy after a few minutes.

"Well, A.J. said they already have eight inches on the ground there and they're expecting ten more! Everything is closed and there's no way he can make it up here."

"Darnit! Where's Angelina when ya need her?" House said as he put his head against the cushion of the couch.

"It'll be fine. Gran'ma Cuddy and Aunt Beatrice spent two weeks here during the winter storm of '79. We have plenty of food."

"The last thing I want to be is cooped up in this place with these people." House whined.

"No, House. The last thing you want to do is have clinic duty!" Cuddy corrected him. He smiled and nodded his head because he knew that was the truth.

Sarah walked out of the kitchen and walked to Wilson. "This would be the perfect time to go rest, honey. I want to call Charlie anyway; I promised him I would." She said as she took Wilson's hand and led him upstairs.

Rog and Foreman were still playing pool so Cameron and Chase headed to the room, which was beside the room with the hot tub with plate glass windows that looked out over the grounds.

"You know, that's not a bad idea, Cuddy." I think I'll head on up for a nap myself." House said with a wink, just in case Melissa was only playing asleep.

The living room grew quick, except for the occasional echoing "smack" of the cue ball hitting another ball on the pool table in the back room. And as Melissa lay on the couch, she turned over, and smiled. Then went back to sleep.

House and Cuddy walked up the stairs to his room, but Cuddy kept walking to hers. When she reached for the door handle she turned and did the 'come here' motion with her forefinger.

"I've got your medication in my room." She said with a sly grin. He happily walked toward her. As the door closed behind them, House grabbed Cuddy by her left elbow and swung her around.

"I've been wanting to do this for days!" House said as he brought his left arm around hers and kissed her.

"Hmmm, and I've wanted that from you, too!" Cuddy said before she hungrily kissed him back. They spent the next hour or so making love, and fell asleep in each other's arms.

At about the same time, Cameron went upstairs to take a bath to freshen up a little before dinner. She ran the tub water in the bathroom at the end of the hall and was only wearing a robe. Chase, Rog and Foreman finished playing pool and drinking to warm up from being out in the cold and the three staggered up the stairs.

"Seee ews guyzz 'ater!" Chase said as Foreman and Rog went to their perspective rooms. Chase staggered down the end of the hall to the bathroom and opened the door. Cameron shot around and brought the robe back over her shoulders, as she was in the middle of taking it off.

"oohhh, I'mmm sooooo awry, Allison! Buuuuuuurrrppp."

"Get out of here!" Cameron screamed then she calmed down a little. "You need to go lie down, Robert." She said calmly.

"An' ewd 'eed to ta-ack that awfff…" He slurred.

"Sober up, and you'll see as much as you want tonight! Now get out!" She said and she gently pushed the door closed.

Later that evening everyone but Melissa and Rog made it for dinner; they stayed in the living room. Melissa said she was nauseous, and Rog volunteered to keep her company while everyone ate. Cuddy suggested making her a can of chicken noodle soup but she said she wouldn't be able to keep it down. Cuddy made sure she had taken all of her medications before everyone else began to eat.

"Are you feeling better, Melissa?" Rog asked as he handed her a pillow.

"No, no," Referring to the pillow as she threw it to the end of the couch. "I want to go upstairs. Everyone is fussing over me and this trip isn't about me. You guys are having so much fun and I feel like I'm in everyone's way."

"Well, to tell you the truth, Melissa, from what I've heard about House, he scared the crap outta me. But with you here, he has totally surprised me."

"Yeah, he's a big softy, except when he has a bug up his butt, which, I'm afraid, is several times a day." Melissa said then laughed. "Ok, I'm going up. You go eat, Rog."

"You sure? I can help y…"

"Oh, please, I'm the last person you need to take care of." She said as she slowly stood up.

She got a little dizzy and he grabbed her by the waist and they locked eyes. And just stood there, not even blinking. Then she pushed herself away from him and started climbing the stairs. She turned around and said 'thanks' as he watched her turn the corner at the top of the stairs.

Back at the dining room table ---

"It looks like we've already had four inches in the past two hours. And the full brunt of the storm hasn't even hit us yet." Cuddy said as she passed around the basket of garlic bread.

"James and I are going for a walk to the lake later. Anyone want to join us?" Sarah asked. Wilson shot Sarah a glance that said, 'Are you insane, woman! I'm not going out there!'

"We're staying put, Sarah, but thanks." Foreman said.

House turned to Cuddy and said, "Isn't there a hot tub in this place? I haven't seen it yet."

"It's next to the pool room. I turned it on this morning so it's nice and hot."

"Awesome! I say we all go in the nude." House said excitedly.

"I say we don't!" Foreman interjected.

"Oh, come on! They'll be fun bags galore!" House said, then Michelle shook her head and Sarah blushed.

"Knock it off, Hormonal Harry!" Wilson teased.

"Fine, fine. But y'all are no fun!" House said as he stuck a forkful of lasagna into his mouth.

Rog walked into the dining room and sat down next to Chase. As he pulled the chair in his knees hit the edge of the table and several glasses went flying over and spread all over the table. Everyone automatically stood up and started grabbing bowls and plates, then someone started to laugh and everyone else did too. It made Rog feel a little bit better. For about two seconds.

"I really hope you are not considering going into surgery because you'd accidentally cut the wrong artery or wrong arm or something." House snapped as he brushed the cloth napkin over his t-shirt.

"And I hope you never decide to become a real doctor because you have the personality of a bark tree!" Rog answered and rushed out of the dining room. Everyone looked at House, who was looking at them like, 'What? I didn't do anything.', but of course, he did. And he knew it.

"House! That was rude!" Cuddy screamed at him.

"Yeah, well, so was his comment. Actually, not rude, just stupid." House replied.

"House, that wasn't necessary." Cameron said as she started to walk out the door to follow him.

"Ca…hold on. Don't." House said as he grabbed his cane and followed Rog into the living room.

While the gang cleaned up the table, House sat on the opposite side of Rog who sat on the couch. He put his cane against the coffee table, and it fell to the floor.

"Uh, oh, Great Doctor, you dropped something. You _aren't_ perfect!" Rog snapped, staring directly at House with a confidence House had yet to see from Rog.

"You know how I came to be doing what I'm doing? Because as klutzy as I am to you, I actually am good at what I do. I know a thing or two about medicine. Not as much as you, I know, but I know. I graduated high school at 15; Princeton at 19 and medical school at 24. That was five years ago. Outside a hospital, I am a walking time bomb. Inside, I am not.

"My parents taught me to respect my elders. Meaning: those that are in a higher authoritative position than me. Respect is something that is earned, Dr. House. And you have yet to earn my respect. Because, one day, it may be _your_ life I save. And you won't be laughing at me, then."

Rog stood up and went up the stairs to check on Melissa. House had stared at the floor most of the time he spoke. The only time

he looked at Rog was when he said, 'Dr. House.' He said it sarcastically, with an attitude, and he sounded just like House when he was his age: Cocky, confident, defiant. House grinned a little, got up and went to the window. It was 8:45 now, and there was a good six inches of snow blanketing the trees.

"Ok! Hot tub time!" Foreman yelled as they walked out of the kitchen. Everyone headed upstairs but Cuddy, who walked over to House at the window.

"Greg, what did you tell him?" She asked, wanting to put her arm around him but she thought better of it.

"Nothing. He told me off."

Cuddy smiled. "Really? Oh, my. Now I know why I hired him!"

"And what was the reason?" House asked looking at her.

"Because he's a little like you, Greg! Now go put your trunks on, sexy." She smiled as she walked upstairs.

He watched her walk up. _'Now _that's_ a nice view!'_ He thought to himself.

"Rog, there's a plate of lasagna for you in the frig since you didn't eat." He heard Cuddy tell Rog then her door closed.

House was the last upstairs and checked on Melissa first before changing. She was sitting up in bed and Rog had gone into his room to change.

"Hey Doc! How's it hanging?" Melissa said as he walked to the other twin and sat down.

"Girl, you have a mouth on you!"

"Doesn't she, though?" Cameron said as she grabbed her one piece.

"I know. I was born with it. I've had it for as long as I can remember." She said. House shook his head.

"Yeah, I've said that before. So, you have a temp?"

"No, I feel better. I'm hungry, too. How was the laz-ag-nah?"

"Great! Rog didn't eat, either." House said.

"Yeah, I heard. Why are you such a dork?" Melissa asked laughing and Cameron joined her. House gave her a dirty look with a little side grin.

"I don't know. I've been a dork as long as I can remember. Now, get your butt out of bed and let's hit the hot tub. Well, as your doctor, I'm telling you, you can't but you are part of this group and you have to come!" House begged.

"Ok, I was going to. Rog asked me to referee between the two of you." She said as she stood up.

"Oh, something tells me he can hold his own. I'll wait for you at the stairs, ok?" House said as he walked to the door.

"Actually, Rog is helping me down, but thanks." House nodded his head, went to his room and changed into his trunks. He could hear Cameron and Melissa giggling through the wall.

_'Girls!'_ He thought to himself. _'Gotta love them!'_

House threw on a Led Zeppelin t-shirt from a 70s concert that still fit him. He stood at the window and watched the snow. LizBeth loved snow. She'd always go out and make snow angels. Of course, her loving big brother would destroy them as soon as she'd finish one and they'd end up having a snowball fight. But she'd always make him hot cocoa. She made the best cocoa.

There was a soft knock on the door and House went to answer it. Cuddy was standing there in a one piece red suit with a towel

over her shoulders.

"Come on! Everyone is already downstairs." House walked through the door and gave her a long, hard, wet kiss. She smiled.

"Save some of that for later!" She said as she grabbed his hand and they went down the stairs.

Rog and Melissa were eating dinner, and seeming to be having a lot of fun.

Cuddy warned Melissa, "Don't eat too fast, Melissa. And here are your meds to take after you are done eating." She said as she put the bottles on the table.

"Thanks! You two have fun." Melissa said with a mouthful of garlic bread. House gave Rog a nod, a respectful nod. Rog nodded back as they walked to the hot tub room.

---Back in New Jersey, A.J. pulled out of the driveway in the same minivan he drove down the night before, in the same direction as the night before: upstate New York, a four hour drive.

He was on his way to get Cuddy and the rest, but he didn't want to. There was now 11 inches of snow on the road. They'd been plowed, of course, and he knew they were only going to get worse.

At least he had slept a little bit before...well, before he was held at gunpoint and ordered to drive to where Cuddy's cabin was.

---House and Cuddy walked through the living room where Cuddy turned on the stereo and hit a button. They heard screams and clapping as "Hold Your Head Up" came blasting from the back room.

When they reached the room with the hot tub it was actually pretty big. The 12-person hot tub was in the corner to the right of the door, with a huge plate glass window looking over the pine trees and lake. But it was steamed up so they couldn't see the snow falling, which would have been pretty surreal. Right beside the tub was a table the same height as the tub, in which sat five different kinds of liquor. On the opposite side of the tub were two all oak benches and a wooden table. On the wall on the left were several hooks where robes and towels were hung.

"Get in here, House!" Wilson yelled over the music and jets from the hot tub. Cuddy was already stepping over to sit next to Foreman, who handed her a glass.

House got in and sat next to Cuddy. He thought he'd be able to play footsies with her, so he slowly moved his left foot to hers and pinched her big toe between his. He was looking at Cuddy to see her reaction but she didn't give one; she was talking to Sarah across from her. But Foreman did. He quickly gave Cuddy a fast glance that said, 'are you doing what I think you are doing?'House almost tossed his lasagna in the water and never tried the stunt again.

House noticed Cameron and Chase sitting pretty close to one another, and for the first time realized that maybe it was a good thing they hooked up. After losing the baby, it seemed to draw them closer. And Wilson and Sarah seemed very romantic. _'Ick! Did I say romantic?' _He looked at Cuddy and smiled.

They sat in the hot tub and talked about dating, sex, high school, college, sex, food, everything but work, but more about sex. Michelle was talking about how her ex-boyfriend owned a house on Cape Cod, but he was as stupid as a horse; Sarah bragged about adorable Charlie; Wilson bragged about Sarah; House bragged about his hookers until Cuddy elbowed him in his stomach.

An hour later, they'd gone through 4-1/2 bottles of liquor and they were all drunk. Well, Wilson wasn't because of the meds he was on, but he was still having a good time. Cameron went to stand up to get the last bottle and almost slipped out, but Chase caught her by her hips and pulled her back down in the tub. Water went all over everyone and some splashed out on the tile floor, but there was a drain pipe.

For some reason the pipe reminded House that Rog and Melissa hadn't come into the room. '_I knew I should have watched out for that boy._' House thought to himself.

"OK! Who's ready for a pool tournament?" Foreman screamed. Michelle fussed at him that it was late, but he said he didn't have to go to school in the morning; Wilson was half asleep and Sarah had already gotten out and dried off; Chase and Cameron were all lovey dovey and House was ready for bed, himself. Well, not for bed, but for Cuddy.

"Fine! Guess I'll stay up and watch it snow and snow and snow!" Foreman said as he got out.

They all dried off and walked into the living room. Rog and Melissa were sitting in front of the fire talking. Her back was against a chair and Rog was sitting facing her, very close.

"Ok, you two! Time for bed!" House hollered at them as Cuddy went to turn the stereo off.

"But Daddy! We don't have school tomorrow! It's snowwwwwwwing!" Melissa playfully whined.

"Fine, but I want you in bed by midnight!" He said with a grin.

"Will I turn into a pumpkin?" Rog asked.

"No, but I'll kick one up your..."

"House! Leave them alone!" Cuddy interrupted them. "Ok, I'm off to bed. Make yourselves at home, ok?" Cuddy said as she headed for the stairs. Everyone followed them but Rog and Melissa, who stayed by the fire.

"Allie, come here." Melissa said. Cameron walked toward them and bent over.

"You and Robert can share our room, tonight, ok? Rog and I are going to stay up late. We'll share his room. How does that sound?" She said with a wink.

"You sure? Rog?" Rog nodded his head and she smiled. "Ok, thanks." She said as she walked toward Chase. Melissa could see his eyebrows rise and a huge smile on his face. Everyone headed upstairs to their rooms and said goodnight. Chase almost took a left to go to Cameron and Melissa's room but caught himself just in time. But House still caught that and gave Chase a wink.

House turned to Cuddy after all the doors closed. "Lisa, uh, can I get my goodnight pill?"

"Uh huh, sure you can, as long as you give me yours!" She said with an evil grin, and they walked into Cuddy's room and closed the door.

---An hour away from the cabin, A.J. continued to drive the van to the cabin, against his will. The roads had begun to freeze with the steadily falling temperature and he had to drive considerably under the speed limit. His nerves were almost completely shot and he had no idea what this madman wanted. He never spoke a word. He just said, hours earlier, "take me to Cuddy's cabin or you're dead!" That was enough incentive for him to drive. And so they did, slowly but surely, to the cabin owned by Dr. Lisa Cuddy.

---Chase stood at his door listening for Cuddy's door to close after he heard House's and Cuddy's voices in the hall. He quietly opened the door and went to Cameron's door and knocked. She quickly let him in.

"Thank Missy. This was her idea." She said as she sat on the bed. "You know, I'm glad we went for the walk, today."

"So am I, Allison. I really was worried about you, and about losing the baby. I'm sorry that happened." Chase told her sincerely.

"It's hard, yeah. My cousin Teresa has six kids and Dawn has three. They had a competition going until Dawn had her third one and bowed down to Teresa, literally. But it happened for a reason."

Chase stood up and sat next to her, putting his arm behind her. "Maybe we can try to beat Teresa. What do you think?"

"I think you are drunk, Robert."

"Is that why you look so hot right now?" Chase said with a smile.

"I always look this hot."

"That is so true." Chase said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. She closed her eyes and moved her head to give him a kiss. He gently pushed her down and lay next to her, touching her, brushing his lips against her cheek, ear, neck. She wrapped her leg around his thigh and they made love. It was gentle, sweet, passionate, just what she needed: someone to lover her. And, she found it, from Chase.

Early the next morning, House woke up on his side with his head on his left arm and the other wrapped around Cuddy. Her back was pressed against his chest and his right leg was over her left leg. Her hair lay across the pillow touching his left hand so he took a strand and twisted it in his fingers. Then he gently pulled it trying to wake her up. With each tug he'd pull harder and harder until finally he tugged as hard as he could.

"OW! There are other ways of waking me up, Greg." She said sleepily.

"Not when you're asleep. That's just too weird." He said as he turned her over and kissed her. Then he slid out of bed and walked to the window.

"Nice view, baby." Cuddy told him.

"Yeah, you can see the lake from here."

"No, silly, I mean the view from here." She said with a grin. House frowned at her until he saw where Cuddy was looking, and quickly struck a pose.

"HERCULEESS! HERCULEEES!" He imitated Eddie Murphy in the nude and they burst out laughing. "It's still snowing heavy, and everything is white out here! It's actually pretty."

"Geez, it's 10:30! We better get downstairs." Cuddy said as she slid out of bed and put her robe on.

"No, THAT'S a prettier view." He said with a grin.

"Shut up and get dressed, will ya?" Cuddy said laughing as she walked to the bathroom and stepped in the shower. He put on his clothes and walked out the door just as Cameron walked through her bedroom. He caught a glimpse of Chase still asleep in one of the twin beds with the blanket wrapped around his waist before she saw him and she quickly closed it.

"Go, Cameron!" House said as he limped by her, giving her a wink. Her face turned bright red.

House went down the stairs and saw everyone but Melissa and Rog sitting at the dining room table eating muffins or yogurt or fruit.

"Where's the coffee?" House said rather loudly as he walked into the living room.

"SSSHHH!" Sarah fussed at him, pointing to the couch. House turned to look and saw Rog and Melissa nestled on the couch side by side, both sound asleep.

"I heard them still talking at 4:30 when I got up to use the bathroom. There's a fresh pot in the kitchen." Wilson said. House grunted and headed off to the kitchen.

"Ok, Sarah. You're stuck in a cave on the edge of a whirlpool. Your mother and best friend, who's like your sister, are clinging onto your hands for their lives. You must let one go to save the other. Who do you save, your mother or best friend?" Foreman asked.

"What kind of question is _that_?" House said as he walked into the dining room and sat down. "I'd let them both go and get the hell outta there!" Everyone laughed. "What are you playing?" He asked.

"Scruples. It'll help you get into the psyche of your coworkers." Wilson said.

"Uh, right. Ok. Well, Sarah? Mommy, who carried you for nine months and had a 36 hour labor, or your best friend, who stole your 10th grade boyfriend?" House said smugly.

"Ok, technically, you can't have a cave with a whirlpool in it. If there was, it wouldn't be a cave. That's bec..." Sarah was interrupted.

"Enough! Just answer the question." House said.

"Fine. I'd save my mother. No question. Mom. My turn! Give me a card. Ok, this is for...Michelle." Sarah started.

"Ok, Michelle. You and your husband go to dinner and you see your boss with a woman. The problem is, your boss is married...to another woman. Do you bribe your boss for a raise because you know his dirty secret?" Sarah asked.

"Wow, dirty secrets? Chase, shouldn't that be _your_ question? Oh, wait, we already know the answer to that one." House said as he sipped his coffee, pretending he never said it.

"Hey! No fighting in my house!" Cuddy said as she turned the corner from the living to the dining rooms.

"Good morning!" Sarah said. "The weatherman said there is now officially 19-1/2 inches of snow on the ground. Schools are closed and some roads are impassible. It's still snowing and we're expecting 5-6 more inches before it's over tonight."

"Great. I'll have to check the heat pump and generator. I think there is enough to last us 'til Friday. Cold showers are NOT fun when it's 20 degrees outside." She said as she walked into the kitchen for coffee.

"Oh, easy one. It depends on how much raise he _does_ offer, but if he fires me I can just threaten him by telling his manager that he fired me because he slept with me." Michelle answered.

"Wow, girl, you had that answer awful quick." Foreman teased her. Cuddy walked into the dining room and sat down next to House.

"Ok, let's go with House this time, since you seem to be sooo into this game." Michelle said. "Your married ex-girlfriend comes into town, gets pregnant with your baby then leaves. Do you offer to marry her, just support the baby financially or just let her go?"

"Uh, oh! I hear Melissa calling me!" House quickly stood up and walked to the living room. Everyone at the table looked at each other in confusion then continued the game.

House sat in the chair closest to the fire and stared at Rog and Melissa sleeping. Then he looked at the side table and saw a bowl of pine cones and walnuts. He picked up a pine cone and threw it at Rog, who didn't move. He grabbed another pine cone, aimed for Rog's crotch but missed and hit Melissa on her thigh. He quietly cursed then grabbed four walnuts and threw them all at one time. One hit Rog right on the forehead and he sat up fast, which woke Melissa up.

"What is yo...oh, Dr. House." Rog said then grinned. "You remind me of my big brother."

"Oh, way to suck up to your boss!" House said.

"No, he was obnoxious, too! Missy, you want some coffee?" Rog asked as he sat up and stretched.

"Yes, kind sur. Two lumps of sug-ah and a spot-a crahm, plays." Melissa said with an English accent.

"I've already gawt a lump on me forehead...be back in a tick, milady." Rog said also in an accent as he walked toward the dining room and said hello to everyone. House rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please, don't give me that, Doc!" She said with a smile as she sat up.

"I heard you two last night." House said.

"Oh, sorry. We tried to be quiet."

"All that moaning! I thought I was going to puke!"

"You are joking me, right? I couldn't have sex now even if I wa...wait, and I'm telling you this, because? By the way, I think we heard _you_ two last night." She said with a grin as she stood up, but got dizzy and sat back down.

"Impossible. I couldn't have sex now even if I wanted to." House teased her. "You like him, huh?"

"Yeah, he's funny. He had me laughing so hard I think I done bust a stitch. But, Greg, you know I can't get into a relationship with anyone."

"Why not?" House asked as he frowned.

She looked at him funny. "I'm HIV positive, remember? I wanted to tell Rog but I never got the nerve." She said sadly.

"Melissa," House said as he scooted to the end of chair to talk softer. "You can still have relationships. There's no reason why you can't."

"He's too nice a guy. I don't' wanna hurt him." She told him.

"Hurt him, or hurt you?" House said, then sat back and said, "Hey, Roger Dodger!" Rog came around the end of the couch and

handed Melissa her cup.

"Well, it's official." Rog said as he sound down.

"What's official? You made it to the couch without spilling any?" House snipped.

"No, we are now officially snowed in." He said as he smiled at Melissa and gave her a wink.

"Girl, you and I need to talk!" Cameron said to Melissa as the gang came into the living room.

"Talk about what?" She asked. She looked at Chase and thought she saw him blush a little.

"Just come on." Cameron said as she grabbed Melissa's hand and pulled her off the couch and they headed upstairs. Melissa and Cameron went to their bedroom and she closed the door.

As Cameron turned around she said, "WELL?"

---Outside, in the mini-suite, a man was looking out the window. Watching. Waiting. For the right moment...

---"Well, what?" Melissa asked as she sat on the bed.

"Did you, you know?" Cameron asked as she jumped on the twin opposite of Melissa waiting for all the dirt.

"Oh, please, geez! I just had surgery two days ago!" She laughed. "I like him, and I like how he stands up to Greg. He's soo funny, but he's kinda nerdy, you know? I mean, I like nerdy, but, Allie, I'm HIV positive." She finally confessed.

"What? House never told me. Well, he shouldn't have. But, Missy, I'm glad you did tell me." She told Melissa about how she was exposed to an AIDS patient, and she was still going through the tests every six months.

"How di...I shouldn't as..." Cameron started to say.

"Oh, no! It's ok. Hey, I've been through worse. I found out I was HIV positive two years ago. When I was 18, my boyfriend got thrown in jail for drug possession and I was living on the street, where I was raped. After that it was the slap in my face I needed to get my life right. And I did. I went to give blood and was notified I was HIV positive. But I'm still here, thank God."

"But, didn't you meet House at the rehab center? How did you end up there?" Cameron asked.

"Yeah, after got a decent job I slipped again. I started to gain weight after I was raped, and did the coke to lose it. And as you can see, since I've been off of it, well, except for that one day, I've gained the weight back. I had a little slip, a BIG slip. My job made me do rehab, and I'm glad they did. Then, when I met Greg, he really helped me get back on the right track. But when he left, that same day I made plans with Jack, my boy..ex-boyfriend, actually, HE made the plans." She sighed to catch her breath.

"He got me out, I got high, but I kept thinking of Greg an..." She shrugged her shoulders. Thank God I got sick." She laughed.

Cameron gave her a reassuring smile. "I really freaked out, myself. I know exactly where you are coming from."

"And what about you, girl-freeend?" Melissa asked, changing the subject.

"A girl doesn't kiss and tell."

"That girl better because I gave her my room last night!" Melissa shot back.

"Hey! You offered it!" Cameron answered. "Because you wanted to be with Rawg!"

"That is sooo low!" Melissa said and threw the pillow at Cameron.

"CAAAAA-ONNNNNNN!" Someone hollered from downstairs.

"Think your honey-pie is callin' ya, Cammie!" Melissa teased as they headed downstairs.

"Okay, we're playing nekkid Twister!" House shouted as everyone was still gathered around the fire.

"We most certainly are NOT!" Cuddy fussed at him and they all laughed.

"Uh, ok, how about just you and I?" House asked, looking at Cuddy. Her face turned bright red.

"Actually, Allison, us 'young' peeps are headed out for a walk. Want to come?" Chase said, but almost more like told her she was going.

Cameron looked at Melissa. "You know I can't go far. You go! Have fun! And throw a snowball at Chase for me!" Melissa teased.

Foreman, Michelle, Chase, Rog, Cameron, Sarah, and House went to get their coats on.

"Where do you think _you_ are going, House?" Cuddy asked as she stood up to go to the kitchen.

"I'm going with the youngins!" He told her.

"Uh, no you're not. You're staying here with us old folk." She told him.

"HEY! I'm only 21, Lisa! I ain't no old youngin'!" Melissa said.

"Neither am I, Cuddy! I'm really offended." Wilson joked.

"Oh, honey, you are a youngin'! You just can't keep _up_ with us!" Sarah teased and ran out the door into the snow.

Cuddy, House, Wilson and Melissa sat in the living while the others played in the snow.

"Ok, who's up for nekkid Twister, now?" House asked.

"I am not playing nekkid Twister with you, House! That is up-and-beyond the call of our friendship." Wilson said.

"And besides, Greg," Melissa said. "I won't be doin' any twisting for a while!"

"Ah-ha! I_ knew _you didn't! Good girl!" House said.

Melissa threw a pillow at him and hit him directly in the face.

"Nice shot, Melissa!" Wilson said and they all laughed.

---Across the way, in the dark, snow-covered mini-suite, A.J. moaned. He awoke to find himself lying on a bed, hands and feet tied and tape over his mouth.

"Make a sound and I'll hit you with the _other_ side of this gun, man!" He told him.

He looked outside the window and saw several people walk out the door, but none of them were who he came here for. They were still inside.

---The gang outside went screaming and laughing around the corner of the house on the path to the lake. The snow was coming down heavy and it was perfect for snowballs. Foreman started when he got Michelle in the back of the head, and Sarah came to her defense by chucking one at Foreman.

"Us women have to stick together!" Sarah yelled, and went after Rog with two snowballs, one in each hand.

---When they disappeared, the man in the mini-suite looked at his watch. It read 2:15.

_'The sun should be going down in an hour or so, that'll be the perfect time...but, wait, it'll be easier with the four than all ten of them. I've only got six bullets. Too bad two innocent people have to die.'_ He thought to himself as he quietly opened the door, walked to the side of the house and walked up the steps.

---"Melissa, why don't you help me in the kitchen with dinner?" Cuddy asked as she stood up.

"Oh! What are we having for dinner tonight? I'm really hungry for steak and lobster." House said.

"Then you'll have to dredge down to the nearest restaurant, which is about 25 miles, in the snow. You wouldn't make it down the front steps with that cane." Cuddy shot back. "We are having peanut butter and jelly sandwiches."

"What? You are kidding me, right?" House said.

"Nope!" She said as she and Melissa walked out of the room. "Don't tell them we are having ham and roast beef sandwiches with chips, ok?" Cuddy said as they both laughed.

"So, House, how'd it go?" Wilson asked House when the girls left.

"How did what go?" House said, playing dumb.

"You know what I mean!"

"Oh, you know." House said, egging Wilson on. Just then the doorbell rang.

"Someone must have forgotten something. I'll get it." Wilson said as he stood up to get the door.

Wilson reached for the doorknob, and as soon as the door was cracked just a little, the door opened hard and fast. It caught Wilson by surprise and hit him in the forehead, causing him to fall backward onto the hardwood floor.

House was just standing up when the man barged into the cabin with a pistol in his hand, waving it like a mad man. He kicked Wilson in the leg as he came into the living room.

"Sit down, cripple! Where is she?" He screamed with the wall to his back so he could keep an eye on Wilson and House.

"Greg, what's go..." Melissa said with a knife in her hand she'd been cutting meat with, but she just held it, in no way a threatening manner.

"Drop it! NOW!" He ordered, and she dropped it right away. "Get over there with them!" He said, pointing the gun to the couch, but she walked over to Wilson and tried to help him up, but she had no strength.

"I'm ok...ok...don't" He muttered, then stood up and she helped him walk to the couch.

"Where IS she!" He yelled, but he was starting to slur his words.

Cuddy stood frozen in the kitchen because she recognized his voice. It was Thomas, her ex. She had to think quickly. Chase always kept his cell phone on. She'd call him. She quietly picked up the phone and dialed his number. She heard a phone ring upstairs. _His_ phone!

"What is that? Whose cell phone is that? Who's up there? Is she up there? Wait, no. You were in the kitchen, right? With _her_?" He said, pointing the gun at Melissa. House tensed up and started to lean forward in his chair.

"Don't! You're gonna die anyway, but I'm not ready yet." He said as he walked into the kitchen. "Out here! NOW!" He yelled to Cuddy, who was cowering in the corner of the kitchen.

She slowly walked out, and as she passed Thomas she said, "don't do this, Tom." He raised his hand with the gun in it and brought it down on the back of Cuddy's neck.

She went down hard and fast. House did stand up this time and took two steps toward them. Thomas aimed the gun at him and

shot...right into the wall to his right on purpose. Just to scare him. He quickly sat back down.

"Thomas, stop. Someone's got to look at her!" House said urgently. Melissa and Wilson looked at House because he seemed to be the only one that knew who this man was.

"Forget it! No one is looking after her. Except you have been, haven't you, cripple?" He said as he bent down, grabbed Cuddy's elbow and dragged her into the living room.

Melissa stood up slowly, calmly, and walked to her, eyeing Thomas the whole time. Wilson tried to grabbed her hand as she walked by but she pushed his hand away. She bent over Cuddy and reached behind her neck. Pulling out her hand she saw the blood on her fingers.

"You son of a bi..." House started to say. This time, he aimed the gun at Melissa's leg two feet from him and shot her. She rolled over crying in pain.

"Next time, it's you, cripple!" Thomas said.

---Sarah thought she heard a faint gunshot echo in the trees as they just reached the lake, but she couldn't be sure. It could have been a hunter; could have just been her imagination. But a few minutes later when she heard the sound again, she grabbed her right leg and yelped in pain.

"What is it?" Cameron asked as she walked toward her. "I don...oh my god, Melissa." Sarah whispered.

"We've got to get back, NOW!" Sarah said. The gang hurried as fast as they could in the deep snow; it would take about 25 minutes before they'd reach the cabin at the rate they were going, even in a dead run. The four in the cabin didn't have very good odds.

Back in the cabin, Cuddy was still passed out on the floor and Melissa was on the floor against the couch. Wilson got on the floor beside her and ripped her jeans up to where the bullet was. There was just a trickle of blood; it was a clean shot, but the shot was so close that there were burn marks around the entrance wound.

"I'm fine, James. It doesn't hurt too badly." She said as she contorted her face in pain as he ripped the jeans up to her thigh.

"Doc, don't do anything dumb." Melissa warned House. But of course he didn't listen to her, like he never really listened to anyone anyway.

House slowly stood and walked to Cuddy while he kept his eye on Thomas. He knelt down on his left leg and pulled Cuddy up by her shoulders to look at the back of her head. The blood was already coagulating and the place where the butt of the gun went into her neck wasn't bad at all. He turned to look at Wilson and House nodded his head as if to indicate Cuddy was fine.

"Baby, Lisa...please...wake up..." House whispered in her ear as he held her, his voice cracked with emotion at the whole scene that was playing around them. He gently laid Cuddy back down and faced Thomas, who paced back and forth as if he were getting his thoughts together as what to do.

"Why did you do that, Thomas? Melissa has _nothing_ to do with this." House said as he walked toward him.

"She's at the wrong place at the wrong time, just like A.J. It's Cuddy I want, and you. Now shut up." He said as he waved the gun in House's direction.

House thought to himself: _'A.J.? The guy that drove us up here? That must mean A.J.'s here somewhere. Thomas didn't know about this place, or did he? Damn, where's Foreman?'_

"I knew she was shacking up with you! She left me because of YOU!" Thomas screamed at House.

"No, she left because you beat the crap out of her!" House retorted.

"House, DON'T!" Wilson pleaded.

"How about I get you a beer. No, Scotch! It's in the kitchen. How does that sound? We'll sit back, have a few laughs." House said.

"NO! Well, that does sound good. Go, but I'm watching you!" Thomas said.

House slowly walked to the kitchen, got a glass and set it on the counter. He looked behind him and Thomas was not watching him. He reached into his pocket with a grin on his face and poured the pills into his hand. They were Percocet, for Melissa. He kept them just in case he needed something for his leg, but in case he was busted he would say they were for Melissa if she needed them.

_'Oh, what the hell.'_ House said to himself as he popped two of them. The remaining capsules he tore apart to let the powder pour into the glass. There were about eight, which he hoped would be enough to knock him on his butt, if not, just get him high enough to get the gun from him. He grabbed the bottle of Scotch and poured some into the glass.

"Where's that drink?" Thomas yelled.

"Almost done." House replied.

He stirred the liquid in the glass until the powder dissolved, then walked out of the kitchen into the living room. He stared at Thomas as he approached, and to him it seemed Thomas was wired on something. He said a little pray as he handed Thomas the glass.

"Bottoms up!" House said.

Thomas brought the glass to his lips and swallowed the whole 10 oz. drink. It didn't even appear that Thomas tasted the Percocet. House walked back to the chair, and as he passed Cuddy she moaned. He quickly bent down to her.

"Lisa, sit up. Can you sit up?" House said.

He looked up at Melissa and Wilson. Wilson was holding his side and Melissa looked like she was in a lot of pain. Cuddy slowly opened her eyes and looked at House. She tried to sit up but House stopped her.

"No, no. Let me sit you up. Ok, easy, slow." House said.

"How's it hanging, Missy?" House said. He tried to smile as he sat down behind Cuddy and had her back rest against his chest.

"It's ok, Doc. At least I'm surrounded by three doc..." Melissa cut herself off because Cuddy wasn't exactly in any shape to help anyone.

"We've got to get this bullet out, House." Wilson said.

"Shut up! You four won't be feeling any pain in a second. I came here for a reason." Thomas said as he pointed the gun to Cuddy's head.

Just then, the door burst open and Sarah walked through the front door. Then she saw Thomas aiming the gun at the four on the floor and stopped in her tracks. Cameron, Foreman, Chase and Michelle all bumped into her.

"Dang, girl, what's th..." Foreman started to say before he saw Thomas.

"YOU! ALL OF YOU! Over here, NOW!" Thomas screamed as he waved the gun from them to the couch.

They all followed Sarah into the living room while taking off their coats and boots.

"Sit dah-un." Thomas slurred. House could tell the Percocet was slowly kicking in. Thomas wiped his forehead as if he was feeling dizzy. As Michelle walked toward the couch, she suddenly stopped and stood next to Thomas.

"What are you doing back so early?" Thomas asked her, as she took out a pistol from inside her coat.

"Yeah, well, little psycho lady over there knew something was wrong. I was doing a good job keeping these juveniles busy with snow ball fights." Michelle said.

"What in the hell? Melissa, Cuddy! What is going on?" Foreman demanded.

"Well," Thomas started to say as he leaned back against the wall for support. "I came here to take care of a few things...I mean people. But your early arrival changed all that."

"No problem, Tom. These people were getting on my nerves anyway. Which one do I get?" She asked Thomas with a sly smile.

"Cuddy and House are mine." Thomas told her.

---What Thomas and Michelle didn't know was that Rog was making his way through the door in the back of the cabin in the hot tub room. He quietly walked to the door into the hallway and peeked around the corner. He got down on his hands and knees and crawled to where he could see everyone in the living room. He first saw Thomas against the wall, then frowned when he saw Michelle holding the gun. He could see Wilson's back and the left side of House holding someone in his arms. He had to think quickly.

"Tom...Thomas...don't do th..." Cuddy mumbled. House grabbed her hand and squeezed to reassure her. Thomas was slowly sliding down the wall as the painkillers took effect, and his wrist grew limp, making the gun drop to the floor. House couldn't help but grin.

"What's the matter, homey? Can't handle your liquor?" House asked him.

"Shut UP House! You are such a pain in the ass. Now I know why Foreman complains about you all the time." Michelle said as she took a step toward the group.

"I met Thomas in a bar one night after he and _her_ had a fight. We talked, and he offered me a deal I couldn't refuse. It was easy, or should I say _you_ were easy, Foreman? Not a bad lover, but easy." She snickered.

Cameron saw something in the corner of her eye and turned to look, not thinking of the consequences.

"What are _you_ looking at?" Michelle screamed. She walked far enough in the direction of Cameron's gaze to see Rog lying dead still on the floor.

"Get up! Do you think I'm stupid or something? Get up, now!" She screamed. Rog slowly stood up and walked into the living room. He saw Wilson beside Melissa and sat down in front of her.

"Are you hurt, Me..." He said but stopped when he saw her leg with the bullet hole. It had started to bleed again, but it wasn't heavy.

"Oh, she's hurt alright. I'm glad Thomas shot her. She is just so 'Marie Osmond' sweet it makes me sick. But don't worry, honey, you won't be in pain much longer. See, $5,000 is nothing to sneeze at. Thank God I got the money up front because it appears Thomas is just as helpless as you all are. Speaking of which, I think I'll take care of him now. Thomas, I mean. I need his gun for the extra bullets anyway."

She said as she walked toward Thomas, who was completely on the floor and passed out. Her back was toward the group as she raised the gun at Thomas' head.

Just then, A.J. barged through the door and tackled Michelle to the ground. The gun slipped out of her hand and it hit the floor and skid toward Chase. Chase picked up the gun and aimed it at Michelle. A.J. got a firm grip on Michelle's arms and pulled them tight behind her. Then Chase and Rog got up quickly and walked toward Thomas, who was out cold.

"I saw some rope in the back room. I'll get it." Foreman said as he left.

"Man! That was so COOL!" House said. "Can we do that again?"

"Shut up, House!" Everyone in the room said at the same time.

"Honey, are you ok?" Sarah asked Wilson as she knelt down beside him.

"Yes, but she isn't." Wilson said as he looked at her. Her face had become flush and she was starting to sweat. "We've got to get that bullet out."

"Ok, I'll get blankets from upstairs." Sarah said as she raced up the stairs.

A.J. put Michelle in the corner of the room so everyone could keep an eye on her. She started cursing and yelling out, so House leaned Cuddy against a chair and grabbed a scarf that was on the floor, wrapped it around Michelle's mouth and chin to shut her up.

"I knew there was something off with you." House said to her.

"A.J., wh...izz..va?" Cuddy asked as she tried to get her composure back.

"He made me stop a mile down the road. But the snow's gotta be piled up to the roof by now, especially if the tow trucks have come through. They always make it through quick up here." A.J. answered.

Chase and Rog pulled Thomas to lay beside Michelle. Sarah came back down the stairs with blankets, bandages and gauge she'd found, and Foreman came back with the rope. Chase and Foreman tied both of their wrists and ankles. House walked back into the living room from the kitchen with a bottle of Scotch in his hand.

"House, now isn't the best time to be getting drunk." Wilson said.

"It's not for me, it's for Melissa. You're going to need it, girl." House said.

Chase, Foreman and Rog helped her stand up and semi-carried her into the hallway where there was better light. They laid her on a few blankets and Sarah threw a little shawl over her shoulders because she was starting to shiver.

"Missy," Cameron said as she knelt beside her. "Here, drink this."

"But I don't like Scotch." She said with a laugh, then coughed and moaned in pain.

"You will after you've had a few swigs." House said as he took a swig himself then handed it to Melissa. Foreman and Chase both went into the kitchen to get something to get the bullet out with. Back in the living room, Wilson had a washcloth with ice holding it on the back of Cuddy's head. She looked at A.J. and smiled.

"Big brother to the rescue." She said. "This is my older brother, A.J."

"Yeah, we've met." Wilson said with a laugh. "I thought for sure Rog was going to go after one of them, trip and knock the gun out of their hand."

"I heard that!" Rog hollered from the hallway. "Thanks for your support."

"Now, Melissa, keep drinking this. I'm afraid we don't have anything better for the pain." Cameron told her.

"Oh, ye..." House started to say.

"House, get the bottle from upstairs." Cuddy said from the couch. House came back downstairs a few minutes later.

"See, aren't you glad I'm in pain, Cuddy?" House asked with a wink as he walked to Melissa.

"House, it's not a good idea to mix Vicodin with alcohol." Cameron warned him.

"Don't you think I know that?" House answered. Cameron helped Melissa take the pills as Foreman and Chase came back from the kitchen.

"I'm afraid it's not quite sterile, but it's all we have." Chase said as he put down a serving tray with a couple of bowls filled with

water, tweezers, a few hand towels, couple of steak knives and a roast beef sandwich.

"Uh, I guess the sandwich is to stop the bleeding?" House said as Chase reached for the hand towel and dipped it in a bowl and brought it to Melissa's thigh.

"No, I was hungry." Chase answered. Melissa laughed a little.

"You high yet, girl?" House asked her.

"I think so because Chase is actually funny. Just do it before I lose my nerve." She told Chase as she closed her eyes. Chase put towels around the wound in her thigh and grabbed a knife.

"Doc Greg, you still here?" She asked, but her words came out a little mumbled. House scooted up and sat on the other side of her.

"Hold my hand, Melissa. Chase is ready." Cameron said.

"You know, with her holding your hand I'm a little turned on." House said with a snicker as he grabbed Melissa's left hand and held it.

"Doc, I thought you just said stupid stuff 'cuz of your leg pain, but now I know you are just an a..." Melissa started to say but then gasp as Chase made an incision at the top of the wound. Both House and Cameron flinched as Melissa's hands grasped tighter to theirs.

"It's ok, it's ok. I'm keeping an eye on Chase." House said. She started to laugh then screamed when Chase made the incision below the wound.

"Oh, god. This is worse than I thought it'd be..." She moaned.

"Hang in there, Missy. Chase knows what he's doing, despite House's snide comments." Cameron said then shot House a dirty look.

"Ok, Missy, I'm going to go in now to get the bullet." Chase said as he looked at her. "Ok, ready?"

"Yeah, do it...just do it..." She said.

Chase brought the tweezers to her thigh and reached in the wound. Melissa screamed then jerked her leg.

"Melissa...Mel..." House started to reassure her, but she passed out from the pain.

"It's better this way, for her." Cameron said.

It took Chase just ten minutes to retrieve the bullet, and it made a 'click' as he put it in a bowl of water. Melissa didn't flinch at all from her pain induced sleep, and Cameron and Rog were watching Chase intently. Occasionally House would wipe the wound where blood would start to seep into the wound.

"She's lucky. It just missed her artery so there's little damage. But she's going to be in a lot of pain when she wakes up. Ok, where are the bandages? Chase asked. House grabbed them and bandaged her leg himself. Chase stood up, went to the kitchen to clean his hands, then came back to Melissa and ate his sandwich.

"Don't you dare get any bread crumbs in there or she'll sue you!" House said with a grin. "Thanks. Good job."

Everyone sighed with relief and House went to the couch to check on Cuddy. As he passed the corner where Michelle and Thomas were, he saw he was still out cold and Michelle's eyes blazed at him with hatred. But he was used to that look; it didn't bother him at all.

"I got the cops while Chase was operating, but they said they wouldn't be able to get out for a couple of hours. I told them about her condition but that she was in good hands with six of the best doctors she could possibly have." A.J. said while House sat next

to Cuddy.

"Wait, you're missing one." House told him.

"Yeah, the verdict is still out on you, Doc." A.J. teased and they laughed. Cuddy laughed too but then grabbed the back of her neck.

"God, I am so sorry, guys. This is all my fault." Cuddy apologized.

"Hey, it is not." A.J. told her. "Once the cops get here you won't have to worry about him ever again." Cuddy put her head on House's shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Your head doesn't look too bad. I don't think you have a concussion. But your fun bags look in FINE shape. I think it's safe to get you upstairs now, Lisa." House said as he stood up. "A.J., can you help?"

"Of course." He said as he grabbed Cuddy's waist and helped her up the stairs, with House behind.

"Hey, 'Lease', this reminds me of that time you came home drunk and I had to help you to bed."

"Yeah, yeah, I was just tired." She said as she held onto the railing.

"Uh huh. Right. Mom and Dad didn't believe that either." He said with a laugh as they turned left at the top of the stairs to get to her bedroom.

In the living room, Sarah sat beside Wilson and he nestled her in his arms. "I don't think I've ever been this tired, James. Oh, well, there was that one time you and I...uh, never mind." She said with a smile. "I'm pretty wiped, too. Guys, why don't you go get some rest while we stay with Melissa and these two losers."

"No, no. I want to stay with Missy." Cameron interjected.

"I'll watch these two, guys. Cameron and I can stay down here. Go on up, guys." Foreman said.

As Sarah and Wilson got to the top of the stairs and headed to their bedroom, A.J. was just closing his sister's bedroom door. "I'll have dinner ready in a few hours. It takes a while to put the roast beef and ham out. And the bread...wow, that's really hard to carry to the dining room table." He joked and headed down the stairs.

Cameron sat against the wall at Melissa's head and closed her eyes. She wasn't going to sleep. She just needed to close them for a second after what they'd just been through. A.J. sat down in the chair across from Foreman. It was quiet in the cabin. More quiet than it had been since they got there.

Up in Cuddy's bedroom, House pulled the covers down and she crawled into bed. "Man, my head hurts. Greg, what did you put in Thomas' Scotch?"

"I found some rat poi..." House started to say.

"I don't have any rat poison in here."

"I had Melissa's Percocet and dumped a whole bunch into the drink. Pretty clever, huh?" House said, trying to take the severity out of it.

"Greg," Cuddy said as she closed her eyes and she lay on her side and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. "Did you take any?"

House hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, but I didn't get any from you this morning."

"Yeah, ok. That wa...my fault." She said sleepily and yawned. House lay next to her and held her in his arms.

"Hey, good thing you have me around, huh?" House said as he kissed her on her cheek.

"Uh huh. Whatever you have to tell yourself." Cuddy said then she fell asleep. House watched her for a few minutes before he, too, dozed off.

---House is outside watching little Charlie riding a bicycle, with Wilson following along behind him as it wobbles back and forth on the sidewalk. Cuddy is sitting at his side on the front steps of Sarah and Wilson's home.

"Do you see yourself doing that with Katie in a few years?" Cuddy asks him as she nudges his elbow.

"Uh, who's Katie?" House asks.

"Ok, fine, L.P. with his baseball hat riding the bike."

"Who the hell is L.P.?"

"Little person." She told him.

"That's the stupidest name I've ev..." House started to say.

"Ok, here's little Greene, guys!" Sarah says as she opens the front door and hands them a 15-month old baby boy.

"I still can't believe you named your kid Greene, House!" Sarah says.

"Hey, it was Lisa's fault! She was the one with the drugs!" House teases as he grabs the baby and walks to the yard to twirl him around in his arms. No cane in hand, no pain in leg, no thoughts of clinic duty; only a terrific feeling of overwhelming happiness.

"House, come here!" Wilson yells from the sidewalk of a neighbor's house.

"What is it?" House asks as he walks toward Wilson.

"It's Melissa, House, come on!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Wilson?"

"House...House...HOUSE!"

House jerked in bed and accidentally kicked Cuddy with his right leg. He let out a yelp as the pain shot up his leg, sat up in bed and rubbed his face.

"House, Melissa is running a high fever and I think she's going into shock." Wilson said as he continued to bang on the door.

"Ok, ok. Lisa, hon..." House started to say but saw that she was almost all the way off the bed already. House walked into the hall and saw Foreman standing at Cameron and Melissa's door. Everybody was up now with all the yelling and tried to either stay out of the way or help out as best they could.

"Chase and I brought her up here about an hour after everyone else laid down. We thought she would rest more comfortably. But she started running a fever about an hour ago and she's hallucinating." Wilson said as House walked into the room to see Cameron at her side dabbing her forehead with a wet washcloth.

House said, "Who's watch..." but he was interrupted by Foreman.

"Chase, A.J. and Rog are downstairs. Thomas has come to but he's still a little out of it." Foreman told him.

"Where are the cops? What time is it?" House asked as he knelt down to unwrap the bandage around her thigh.

"It's 6:30 and they should be here any minute." Cameron said hopefully.

"Jack...no..don...Ted...Te..." Melissa muttered as she tossed her head back and forth.

"Dam, it is infected. Get on the phone and get the cops here with an ambulance, NOW!" House ordered.

"Greg, there's almost two feet of snow out th..." Cuddy started to tell him.

"I don't care! We have nothing to treat this infection with and if we don't do anything it'll get into her bloodstream. Call them!" House screamed at Foreman who nodded his head and head downstairs.

"Fill the tub with water then throw some ice cubes in there." House said. Cuddy went to the bathroom at the end of the hall and Wilson went downstairs to get as much ice as was there.

"House, isn't there anything else we can do to get her fever down?" Cameron asked.

"Not in this situation. Not unless you have meds in your duffle bag." House snipped at her.

Foreman came back upstairs and told them, "The cops left 30 minutes ago, but it's slow going."

"Ok, help Cameron get her in the tub." House said as Wilson yelled he was back with the ice, in which he went to the bathroom and filled the tub.

House and Cuddy stood in the hallway as Foreman and Cameron carried her to the bathroom. The ice Wilson put in the tub had already thoroughly melted. They slowly and carefully lowered Melissa into the tub and as soon as her body touched the frigid water she started screaming and cursing and yelling for Ted. As the water totally covered her she settled down a little but still muttered.

"I'm gonna have to go get snow to make this colder." Wilson said as he headed down the hall to the stairs.

Wilson filled the pot with snow, then Rog would go up the stairs, hand it to Cameron, who took it to the bathroom. It took them a good 15-20 minutes doing this until the water was cold enough to satisfy 'her doctors.' During the last trip, Wilson said he thought he heard a snowplow, but that could have just been a truck going by.

She soaked in the tub for 30 minutes until her body started to shiver and House decided it was time for her to get out. Cameron and Cuddy held her as Sarah removed her clothes, dried her and put warmer clothes on her. Sarah opened the bathroom door and Cameron and Cuddy slowly carried her into her bedroom. They laid her on the bed, covered her and threw more blankets on top of her.

"I've got a thermometer in my bathroom." Cuddy said as she left the room.

"HEY! Guys! The cops are here!" A.J. yelled from downstairs.

Those upstairs looked at each other relieved, and those downstairs stood back and let the cops take Michelle and Thomas out to the squad car. Then two paramedics came in and Rog escorted them upstairs to where Melissa was.

"Oh, thank God! It's about ti..." House started to say.

"Keith, Ed, glad you are here." Cuddy said as she told the paramedics about Melissa's condition. They checked her blood pressure and her pulse, which were both weak, but not life-threatening yet.

"If we were here just 30 minutes later she'd be in bad shape." Keith told Cuddy as he inserted an I.V. into her arm.

Everyone went downstairs except for Cameron, who stayed with her as the paramedics continued to assess her condition.

"Rog, she'll be fine." Cuddy reassured him when he asked how Melissa was.

"I thought I heard a plow out on the street." Wilson started to say. "They had the plow in the lead with the cops and ambulance behind them. When they reached the van, they stated it up and it's out front to take us out of here."

Thirty minutes later, the snow plow led the convoy with Cameron and Melissa in the back of the ambulance, then the rest of the gang in the van, being driven by A.J. then followed by the squad car that carried Thomas and Michelle, then two extra squad cars. It was only a 25 minute drive but it went slowly. When they got on the main highway, the ambulance was escorted to Rochester General and the other crew was dropped off at a hotel near the hospital.

House and Chase both shared a cab back to the hospital, and Chase was nervous the whole time; he didn't say one word to House. He kept staring at Chase, trying to get him more nervous than he already was.

"What do you want, House?" Chase finally asked but didn't look at him.

"Uh, you surprised me."

"How's that?" Chase asked.

"I don't know. I was all ready to fire you but I don't think I will, now." House said.

"That's nice to know. Er, thanks." Chase answered as they pulled in front of the hospital. House got out first and walked straight to the front door, while Chase stayed back and was forced to pay the cab driver, then he caught up with House.

"Ok, that's a travel expense I need to have reimbursed. You have to write an invoice when we get back." Chase told House as they walked through the doors.

"Ok, I'll get right on it, as soon as I get on Angelina Jolie." House said with a smirk. Chase just shook his head.

When they finally found Cameron, they told her she was in surgery.

"But, it's minor. They're just cleaning out the wound. The doctor said you did a pretty good job, honey." Cameron said as she kissed Chase on the cheek.

"Oh, please. Keep that up and _I_ will need surgery to remove my eyeballs." House said. "How is she doing otherwise?"

"Great, actually. Her fever did come down and her blood pressure is fine. There weren't any complications with her H...heart. House, can I stay with her until she's released? I can drive her back." Cameron asked House, and she caught Chase frowning at her in a peculiar way.

"I'll check with Cuddy. But I think I need you back at the PPTH right away." House told her.

"No, you don't, House, and you know it."

"I'll stay with you, Allison." Chase said.

She smiled at him and wrapped her arm around his waist. The three sat down in the waiting room. Almost 45 minutes later, a doctor approached them in the waiting room.

"Oh, Dr. House? I've heard about you. It's nice to meet you." The doctor said as he looked at his cane then seem to recognize his face. He stuck out his hand to House, and he politely returned the gesture.

"How is she, Doctor?" Cameron asked as she stood up and stood next to House.

"She's fine. Actually, with one of you escorting her, she can leave tomorrow. But I have a list to go over with one of you for her post-op care."

"Fine, ok. Thanks, Doctor." Cameron said and shook his hand. "When can we see her?"

"In about an hour. Dr. House, may I speak with you for a moment?" He said.

House rolled his eyes and reluctantly walked to the corner. They spoke for a few minutes and he walked back to the group. Cameron really wanted to ask House what he said but she didn't.

"Chase, you can go back to the hotel, now. I'll stay with Cameron." House said as he sat back down in one of the chairs.

"House, I don't mind st..." Chase started to say.

"Chase, I need someone to keep an eye on Rog." House lied.

"Why? I don't think that's quite necessary." Chase objected.

"Well, thanks for your opinion, but you can leave now." House said. Chase walked to Cameron and took her hand, and they walked to the lobby where they called a cab. When Chase left, Cameron came back up to sit with House.

"Uh, what was _that _all about, House?" Cameron asked.

House slowly turned to look at her. "I see you know she's HIV positive."

"Yes, she told me last night. Is there a problem? Is that why he wanted to talk to you alone?" She asked him.

"Her CD4 count is 185, low enough for her to require taking the cocktails now. Did she say anything to you about her T-cell count being within the acceptable range?" House asked.

"No, she didn't. Did the infection from the bullet itself cause the low count?" Cameron asked.

"The doctor said it's doubtful. He did say he found a lesion on the back of her thigh, and she has Kapoli's sarcoma. So, if she hadn't been shot, the SK wouldn't have been found."

"But how can that be? More men are affected with that than women are."

"Well, the odds are 1 to 8, so she just fell in there. So, more than likely, that's what caused her intestinal blockage, not the Crohn's Disease. When she gets back home she will need more tests to determine if the KS has spread to her liver, lungs or lymph nodes." House said.

"But we did an MRI and Ct sc..."

"Yes, we did, but we weren't looking in those specific areas for sarcoma."

"Then, you're telling me she now has full blown AIDS?" She asked disheartedly.

House just nodded his head, and Cameron threw her head to the wall and closed her eyes, trying not to cry.

A few minutes later a nurse approached them and said they could see her now. They followed the nurse to Melissa's room and Cameron went straight to the bed, while House stood back against the wall by the door.

"Melissa? Missy? It's Allison. Hey, you made it, girl." Cameron said. "We all made it."

Melissa slowly woke up and mumbled something until she came around more clearly and opened her eyes.

"Great. Good." She whispered.

"I'm going to stay here with you until we go home tomorrow." Cameron told her.

"Cool...you drive." She joked. "Where's Doc?"

"I'm here, Melissa." House answered from the back of the room.

"Ok, either he's too far or I've lost my hearin'." Melissa said and that prompted House to approach her bed.

"You gonna give her the day off, boss?" Melissa asked House.

"It depends on how many clinic hours she agrees to do for me." House said then winked at Melissa.

"You better not make her do your work!" She said as she closed her eyes.

"Get some sleep, ok? Cameron is going to stay with you tonight and we'll be by in the morning to properly escort you home." House told her as he patted her hand. She nodded her head and went back to sleep.

"Can I get you anything before I leave, Cameron?" House asked.

"No, thanks." Cameron said as he walked out of the room.

House took the elevator to the first floor and decided he was going to walk back to the hotel because it was only a ten minute walk, and he took notice that the sidewalks were clear of any snow. Besides, he had a lot to think over. House put the key in the hotel room door and walked in. Cuddy, Wilson and Sarah were sitting on the beds talking. But it got quiet as soon as he walked in.

"How is she, Greg?" Sarah asked House.

"She's fine. They cleaned the wound and she'll be able to leave with us tomorrow. Now, Wilson, Sarah, go away. I'm tired." House said as he sat on the bed beside Cuddy.

Wilson and Sarah left and Cuddy turned around to face House.

"Ok, what are you hiding, Greg?" Cuddy asked.

"Nothing." He lied.


	7. Chapter 7

The gang heads back home into their normal routine, or so they think.

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

A little past noon on Thursday, Melissa checked out of Rochester General and piled in the van with everyone else. She lay across a bench in the back with her head on Rog's thigh. They'd given her a painkiller for the ride so she was asleep by the time they pulled out of the hospital parking lot in NY. Everyone was quiet, especially Foreman. And, as usual, House was, too. He hadn't slept much after Cuddy fell asleep in his arms the night before. He felt he owed something to Melissa, even though he wasn't obligated. He just had this strong urge to keep an eye on her. Or, he kept asking himself, was it that she'd taken LizBeth's place?

They made the four-hour trip without incident and they pulled into PPTH around 4:00. Everyone was tired and House had a lot of things to do before he would go home that night. He had to register Melissa, make a phone call to Dr. Stafford at the rehab center and make a big decision. That's what he had going on in his head the whole trip: To do it, or not to do it?

"Missy, we're here. Get up." Rog said gingerly as he bounced his knee gently to wake her up. She muttered a few times and Foreman helped her sit up and carry her as best as he could out of the van. House called the PPTH 15 minutes before they arrived to have a wheelchair brought out for Melissa, and they did so. Rog pushed her to admittance as House would follow in a few minutes. The gang grabbed their duffle bags, said goodbye to everyone and they thanked Cuddy. She told them they could take off Friday if they wanted. Sarah walked up to House, leaned in and whispered, "do it" in his ear, then watched her walk away.

"That is one strange woman, Wilson." House told him as he came over to shake his hand.

"She may be strange, but I love her." He said and walked away. House made a face like he was going to throw up, then he walked to the entrance of the clinic but Cuddy caught up with him quickly.

"Greg, what did Sarah say to you? I swear your face turned whiter than your shirt."

"Uh, nothing." House mumbled.

Cuddy grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Greg, I know something is on your mind. What is it?" She wanted to know.

He sighed. "I'm thinking of having her move in with me."

"What? Are you sure that's a good idea? You hardly know her." She said.

"I know her well enough. I've thought about it long and hard."

"But Gre..." Cuddy started to say.

"This isn't open for discussion, Cuddy." House said then walked in the clinic.

House met Cameron, Rog and Melissa in the admissions office. Melissa held her head in her left hand and tried to stay awake for the questions the woman was asking. Cameron answered if she knew them.

"Claudia, if you call Dr. Stafford at the Princeton-Clarkston Rehab Center he'll be able to answer the questions she can't. Right now, I want her in a room and taken care of."

"With all due respect, Dr. House, that's what I'm trying to do." She told him firmly.

"Well, then, with all due respect, Claudia, do it, then." He snapped.

Cuddy walked in behind him and said it was okay. Claudia typed in a few things and said, "Room 416 is available. An attendant will take her up..."

"We'll take her up, Claudia, if you don't mind." House said sarcastically as he told Rog to wheel her up.

"Make sure you don't bump her into anything." House told him.

"Dr. House, I think it's past your bedtime." Rog retorted back.

"And Rog, I think you need a new job." House shot back.

"Doc Greg, leave him alone, will ya?" Melissa said irritated.

"Wow, she's got you under her little finger, doesn't she, Greg?" Cuddy whispered as they were the last to get on the elevator. He didn't respond.

They got off the elevator and into her room. Rog and Cameron helped her into bed.

"Okay, guys, out. I've got to get her into a gown." Cameron said to House and Rog as they just stood there.

"Oh, but I wanna stay!" House whined.

"Doc, out you perv." Melissa said playfully but a little annoyed. House shrugged his shoulders and he and Rog walked out. Cameron helped Melissa change and get into bed.

"The nurse will be here shortly because the doctor at Rochester General said you need to stay on I.V. for at least 24 hours when you get here." Cameron told her as Melissa got under the covers.

"Allie, what did the doctor say?"

"Don't you want to get some rest and we can talk about that in the morning?" Cameron said, hoping to put off the worst news until then.

"No, I don't. Is my T-cell count low?"

"Yes, you'll need to start the cocktails to get the count up. But the infection from the bullet actually helped the doctor in NY discover that."

"Ok. What else?" Melissa asked.

Cameron looked at her, not wanting to give her the bad news. "Allie, you have Kapoli's sarcoma. It's basically a cancer-like disease, but we've got to check to see if it's spread to your lungs or liver."

"Allie, does that mean I got full blown AIDS, now?" She said solemnly.

"Yes, I'm afraid so, Missy." Cameron said. Melissa rolled her head away from Cameron.

"But, Missy, it is treat..." Cameron started to say.

"I think you were right. Can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Yes." Cameron said, but stayed by her bed until she fell asleep.

Cameron walked out of Melissa's room and Chase met her in the hallway. He could see the pain in her eyes and her face was drawn. She took one look at him and put her face in his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and held her. He heard a sob or two but he just held onto her tighter.

"Come on, babe, let me take you home." Chase offered.

"No, no. I just want my own bed."

"Tough. I'm driving you to my place."

"Oh, Robert, I don't know what it is abo..." She sobbed.

"Come on, come on. Let's go." He said as he walked her to the elevator. She tried to stop crying but the past day's events just caught up with her. They went to his place and she put on a pair of Chase's sweats and a t-shirt.

"You look sexy in my clothes." Chase told her as he got under the covers. She looked at him as she turned the light off in the bathroom and came to bed.

"Chase, thanks."

"For what?"

"For being there for me." Cameron said as she lay down next to him. He put his arm under her neck and pulled him close to her.

"I'm always here for you, babe. Remember that, ok?"

"Hmm-mmm." She said then fell asleep as she put her right arm around his waist. He lifted his head and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm always here." He whispered then he closed his eyes and was fast asleep himself.

---Cuddy put the key to her front door, slowly opened it and turned on the hall light. From the foyer she could see the living room was totally destroyed. The cushions to the couch and chair were sliced and there was foam all over the floor and everything else in the room; table lamps were tossed to the floor and shattered; the curtains had tears throughout; every piece of paper from her antique desk her great-grandmother left her was scattered. It was a total wreck.

"Oh, my God." Cuddy said as she took a few steps into the hall.

"Wait, Lisa. It's almost 10:00 and we are both exhausted. Let's go back to my place and we'll call the cops in the morning." House said as he stood in the doorway.

"Thomas must have done this before he got A.J. Oh, god, Greg." She said as she collapsed to the floor, crying. House looked up at the ceiling and walked to her, knelt down and picked her up.

"Look, we've had a long day. I'm taking you back whether you like it or not. And I have to tell you, I like it when you resist."

Cuddy actually let out a little giggle, then she wiped her face. "You know just what to say, don't you?" She said as they walked out of her house.

"Yeah, well, I try." House answered.

Almost 30 minutes later, House and Cuddy were in his apartment sitting on the couch.

"You want some tea?" House asked.

"No, Greg, I just want to go to bed." She said as she stood up.

"Oh, Lisa, I said I liked it when you resisted, dear." House said. Cuddy shook her head and walked to his bedroom. She sat on the side of the bed, and he walked in and sat beside her.

"Look, I don't expect you to understand Melissa. But, there's just something...I don't know." He said.

She turned and looked at him. "Greg, I shouldn't have said that. I had no ri..."

"Hey, yes you did. You were just being concerned. But I don't want you to get the wrong idea...wait, who the hell said that? God, it hurts being nice. Can I have my beddy-bye pill, Mum, please?" He said with a puppy-dog grin.

"Greg?" She asked.

"I don't think I said I loved you lately."

"No, you haven't. And I've been mean..."

"Shut up and kiss me." She said.

Early the next morning, House and Cuddy went back to her place and called the cops from her cell phone. They arrived 15 minutes later. It was a good hour that a team spent taking pictures and any fingerprints they found in the living room and around the door frames. They said they'd talk with the Rochester County police about Thomas and Michelle and they'd get back with her.

"Come on, Lisa, let's get something to eat." House suggested.

"Not if I have to pay for it." She said as she closed and locked the door behind her. "This is going to take all day to clean."

"No, it won't. You gave the gang off today, right?" House said.

"Yes, bu..."

"All right, then, there's your crew! They owe you a thank you for the..."

"They owe me nothing, Greg! God, you really can be a jerk sometimes, you know that." Cuddy said.

House sighed. "Yeah, I do." He said, and they went off the breakfast.

It was about 9:30 and Melissa finally stirred in her sleep and woke up. She opened her eyes and tried to focus on her surroundings. Then it hit her where she was. Then she thought of Rog. She didn't want to lead him on, not now. Not since she had AIDS. There was no way. It never dawned on her it would progress this fast. She hit the nurse button and the nurse came in and asked her what she wanted.

"Can you hand me the phone?" She asked, and the nurse gave her the phone. Melissa thanked her and dialed a few numbers from a piece of paper. The number was Rog's cell phone. He picked it up before the first ring even finished.

"Hi, Melissa! How are you feeling this morning? I hope much better!" Rog said cheerily. Melissa closed her eyes and tried to gather her thoughts before she spoke, which was always difficult for her.

"Rog, have you spoken with Allison?" She asked.

"No, not sin...OW! Spilled my coffee...not since last night and she's not here yet. Actually, I'm the only one here. What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing. Rog, uh, there's something I have to tell you."

"Well, there's something I have to tell you, too." He said.

She hesitated for a moment. _'Oh, God, here it comes.' _She thought to herself.

"I just wanted to ask you a ques..." And the phone cut off. She cursed at the phone and put it back in the cradle. She lay back down. A few minutes later...

"I just wanted to know if, when you get out of here, you'd let me take you out?" Rog said as he walked into her room. Her eyes flew open as she seemed surprised that he was there when he was just in the conference room.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"You didn't. Look, Rog, I loved talking with you the other night. I really did. Bu..."

"Oh, great. I have a but." Rog said.

Melissa couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I did notice, but..."

"Oh, God! Two buts! I'm dead now." Rog said with a huge, warm smile.

"Rog, you're making this harder for me."

"Ok, I'm sorry. This is serious? Ok, I'm all ears, Melissa."

Melissa sighed and tried to look at him, but it was difficult. "Rog, God, I can't do this."

"Just spit it out, Mel. Just close your eyes and say it." He said.

"Rog, I just found out I've got AIDS. Kapoli's sarcoma to be precise." She finally said. Rog stood there at stared at her.

"How?" He asked.

"Does it _matter_ how?" She snapped.

"No, of course not but..."

"Ok, you've answered my question. Now leave." She said as she turned her head toward the window, away from Rog.

"What question. You didn't ask me a question. Dam, don't shut me out now, Mel!" She didn't answer him.

"Melissa, you've still got my number. Call me if you need anything, ok?" Rog said as he reached out for her shoulder.

"Get OUT!" She screamed. He looked down at the floor and walked out of her room. She let the tears fall. They fell hard and fast. Rog stood outside her room and looked at her. And he knew it was bad, whatever it was. But what Melissa didn't know is that Rog is the most stubborn man alive. Clumsy, yes. Stubborn, yes. Give up on Melissa? NO!

House and Cuddy sat at the Waffle Cafe eating, of course, waffles. Well, House was. Cuddy was eating a more sensible breakfast: eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. House squinshed his nose when her plate came out, then he put on a huge smile when he saw his plate of waffles.

"See, if you make me waffles like this every morning, I'd stay over every night." House told her as he shoveled a forkful in his mouth.

"Dear, that's the exact reason why I _don't_ make you waffles." She said with a grin.

"Touché." He said right before he swallowed.

"Boss, I have a question for you." House said as he sipped his coffee.

"Didn't I just say I wouldn't make you waffles?"

"Uh, no, you didn't, but we'll discuss that later. What I wanted to know is what do you think about Melissa being your admin ass't?" House said, giving her his sad, puppy dog eyes. "I mean, how long did Howdy Doody last? Two days?"

"Uh, I think it was more like a day. I fired him because he mailed an invoice to a board member, and a sympathy card to a drug company. What's going on, House?" She asked. He explained her medical condition and why he'd thought about her moving in with him. She thought about it over a few bites of toast then said yes.

"But, I want something in writing from Dr. Stafford at the rehab center giving his approval. Does she have any medical ass't experience?"

"Yes. And noo problem with the letter. It's already in the mail." House lied, about both. He never made the phone call the night before, so he had to persuade the Dr. to allow that.

"Great. Hey, Lisa, you know that thing you've been wanting to try but I poo-poo'd the idea?" She looked up from her strawberry on the end of the fork and nodded her head.

"I still don't wanna do it." He teased then laughed.

"Uh-huh. Too late now, buddy!" She said.

---Almost an hour and a half later, House walked into the clinic and headed to his office. A few minutes later, Cuddy came in and headed to her office. They didn't want anything started in the hospital, but Cuddy had a feeling House was going to say something, anyway. House walked into his office and saw Rog sitting at the conference table, alone. He walked to the coffee pot, poured his cup, and turned around.

"Where is everybody, Roger Dodger?" House asked.

"They're not coming in, Dr. House." Rog simply said.

"What, no 'sir' this morning?"

"You'll get it the next time I spill something." Rog answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I've got 20 patients down..." House kept talking, but Rog wasn't listening to any of his snide comments this morning. He was too worried about Melissa.

"Dr. House, can you tell me exactly what Melissa's medical condition is?" Rog asked hopefully.

"No." He simply said. "Look, I don't think it would be wise for you two to start a relationship."

"Why's that?" Rog asked with his eyebrows raised.

"Because there is a company policy against coworkers sleeping together." House lied, making up another one of his personal rules that didn't apply to anyone but himself.

"Well, then, sir," Rog said with a little bit of sarcasm. "I think you and Cuddy should be fired."

"Oooh, are you playing hardball?" House asked.

"Well, if the ball sits on your desk, then yes." Rog answered smugly.

"I don't like you very much, Rog." House said, but couldn't hide a grin.

"It's ok, I don't like you very much, either." Rog answered back, and he, too, grinned. "Hey, Dr. House, are there any clinical trials that are going on right now that Melissa could benefit from?"

House's eyes flew open because now he had a perfect excuse to keep Melissa. _'Keep Melissa?' _House thought to himself. _'Either I'm getting soft in my old age, or delusional.'_

"Rog, I take that back. I do like you." House said as he stood up, headed to his office, picked up the phone and dialed Dr. Stafford. To do what he had to do. No, to do what he _wanted_ to do. For Melissa. Or, his sister? He sighed as the phone rang...

Foreman woke up that morning close to noon, but he didn't get out of bed. After what Michelle did to him, he felt betrayed and used. He never understood why he allowed that to happen to him, but it was a pattern he always fell into._ 'But,' _he said to himself. _'I got my ring back. I no longer need to work in the E.R., thank God. That place sucks!' _He laughed out loud, then finally got up and took a shower.

---A little while later, House walked into Melissa's room and she'd just come back from having an MRI to determine if KS had spread to any vital organs. She was sitting up but her eyes were closed. As soon as she heard House's cane fall to the floor she opened them.

"Rog, is that you?" She teased House.

He smiled at her. "How are ya feeling?"

"You ask that a lot." She answered.

"Yeah, most doctors do. Melissa, where are you staying right now?"

"At the rehab, Doc."

"No, no, I mean where are your things?"

"At a friends place while I am away."

"Ok, and, are you ready to go back to rehab?" House asked.

"Why? What are you up to? Doctors don't ask those kinds of questions."

"Look, I have a proposition for you. You'll be here for a few days to determine where you stand medically. When you check out, do you want to go back to rehab?"

"Geez, I ain't done thought 'bout that. Of course I'll have to go back." She said as she frowned at him, trying to figure out what his game was.

"Melissa, where didcha done go to college?"

"I done went to the Hillbilly Country Day School, but done walked 50 miles one way, in 'da pourin' rain and 20 feet of snow!" She shot back with a smile. "God, would you just spill it! Men! See, women just come out with it!"

"Well, glad to know I'm not a woman." House said, and finally asked her to work part time at the clinic under Dr. Cuddy's supervision while she underwent clinical testing on medications for the Human Herpes Virus 8 which caused her KS. In the meantime, she'd stay in his extra bedroom in his apartment.

She looked at him dumbfounded, overwhelmed and deeply touched. "Why?" She simply asked.

"Because, the drugs may actual..." House started to say.

"No, Doc! Why are you doin' all this for me?"

House turned his head to the window. "It's snowing again." He said.

"You're doing this because it's snowing? Doc, you been hitting those Vicodin, haven't you?"

House stared at her because he couldn't give her a justifiable answer. "Because I need someone to watch Stevie while I'm here at work." House lied.

"Even if I wanted to, and I'm not saying I want to, but Dr. Stafford wouldn't go for it."

"That's where you're wrong. He approved it."

"What? Are you serious? What did you do to him? Threaten him with a lawsuit against the food they serve? 'Cuz you know, I think you'd win." She laughed.

"I'm just helping out someone in need." House told her.

"Oh, please. I don't need your pity or your hospitality." She threw back at him.

"No, no, it's nothing lik...look, it was just a thought." He snapped, stood up and walked to the door.

"Yes." She said. House stopped at the door but he didn't turn back to look at her. He smiled as he walked through the door to talk to Cuddy. As he walked into her office she looked up from her paperwork.

"You know, why in the world did I agree to have those idiots in here? They ordered almost $100,000 in unnecessary scans and MRIs and left all the paperwork to me. Make sure you stop me from ever leaving again, Greg." Cuddy said as she put her elbows on her desk and laid her chin in her hands. "How's Melissa?"

"Fine, she agreed to work with you. But you had to agree on a few things before she'd accept."

"Oh, really? And what were those?" She asked.

"She's writing them down now. I've got some good news and bad news." House told her.

"Give me the bad news first."

"I still am not doing that thing that I said I wouldn't do, then said I would 'cuz now I won't." House started.

"Ok." She said without smiling. "What's the good news?" She asked, dreading what she was going to hear. He explained to her the clinical trials he checked into after he had the brilliant idea of starting Melissa on them.

"That's interesting, House, because Rog already checked with me about the clinical trials." Cuddy told him.

"Oh, there's more bad news, then. Fire Rog."

"Greg, go play your GameBoy." She said with a wink and turned back to her paperwork.

"You're actually giving me permission to play now, boss?" House asked as he stood up.

"Yes, because that means you are out of my hair and you won't be giving me a headache."

"Oh, well, you know what they say about headaches and sex, don't you?" House asked with a sly grin.

"Go kill those Purple Onion Monsters, House." Cuddy said.

House walked out of his office grinning from ear to ear. _'I just love pushing her buttons. She is sooo easy.' _He told himself as he

headed to his office.

Cameron sat in Chase's living room, completely exhausted, both emotionally and physically. They'd just finished lunch and she tried to make an exit, but he wouldn't let her. She just wanted her own place, her own bed, her own thoughts to herself.

"Robert, have you talked to Eric this morning? He can't be taking what happened with Michelle very well."

"No, I've not. Think we should take him out for drinks tonight?"

"That sounds like a good idea. But I need to go home and shower and change." She told him.

"Well, ok." Chase said.

"Ok? I have your permission? That's awfully nice of you." She said sarcastically.

"Allison, that's not it at all. What's wrong with you today?"

"Oh, aside from the fact that House is now with Cuddy, I've lost our baby, Melissa and Rog are pining for each other, Foreman's fiancé betrayed him, House is...we were held hostage by a madman because of Cuddy. That's what's wrong with me today."

"Oh, Cameron, it's been hard on all of us. I've never seen you this upset. You go from being concerned about Foreman to a complete meltdown."

"Oh, that wasn't a meltdown. You haven't seen me have a meltdown." She snapped.

"Yes, I have. The first night we, uh, were together...wait, you mentioned House and Cuddy. What's up with that?" Chase asked.

"I don't know."

"Allison, I don't want to keep going back and forth with you."

"I'm not going back and forth with anything. I'm just scared." She finally said.

"Scared of what? Have you been in a serious relationship after your husband died?"

"No, I haven't. Well, sort of. But I don't know why I feel like this."

Chase scooted on the edge of the couch and put his hands on hers in her lap. "Girl, you've got to trust me. You have to know that I'm not going to hurt you."

"But how do I know that?"

"Because I'm telling you." Chase answered.

"Yeah, but House said everyone lies."

"And do you believe him?" Chase asked. Cameron just shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, believe me when I tell you that I do care about you, and I won't hurt you." Chase told her.

She looked at him with tears in her eyes. "Okay." And Chase reached out and held herm, to comfort her. To reassure her that he was there to stay and that he would never leave Cameron.

---That weekend went pretty quickly for the doctors at PPTH, especially Cuddy. She spent the weekend cleaning up her living room. She still hadn't figured out if Thomas was looking for something specific or just intent on destroying her house, or her life? _'God, I hope he didn't find out.' _Cuddy told herself.

Monday morning came with a clear, cold, early Spring day. Melissa was actually upbeat about the prospect of working for Dr. Cuddy, who she had great respect for. Her choice in men was another story, but she was happy for the two of them. She had talked to Rog a few times over the weekend, and promised he'd be in first thing to see her. He was anxious to know whether the MRI showed any angiogenesis in her liver or lungs. He prayed not.

Melissa was feeling okay, despite being upbeat, but it felt to her like her chest had grown heavy and it was hard to breath. A few times during the night her coughing woke her up.

"Hey, Missy! How ya doing, girl?" Rog said as he entered her room carrying a teddy bear and a bundle of balloons. She smiled then coughed. He put the balloons in the corner of the room, too close to the heater and handed her the teddy bear. He bent down and kissed her cheek.

She told him she was ok, but was a little worried about the tightness in her chest. "Do you know anything about the MRI?" She asked Rog.

"No, Melissa. Dr. House is taking your case. Didn't you know that? Well, he is, and you're in good hands."

"Do you know anything about the clinical tests? Can anyone tell me _anything?_" She said.

"Sweetie, as soon as Dr. House gets here he'll tell you everything you need to know."

"I'm sorry, Rog, my mind is all over the place. And I just wish I knew something."

"Well, no one can get that man up sooner than 10 a.m., and it's only 8:45 now, so, I think it'll be a while before he comes in." Rog said.

"Do you want to make a bet on that, Doctor?" House said sarcastically as he came in the room.

"Uh, Dr. House, Melissa was jus..." Rog started to say.

"I know what she was just...now go away." House said as he walked to the other side of her bed.

"Doc Greg, do you mind if he stays?" Melissa asked as she sat up in bed.

"You sure about that?" House asked with a frown.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'm sure!" She said as Rog straightened her pillows behind her head and shoulders. House rolled his eyes and looked away.

"Do you mind standing in the corner of the room. You're bothering me." House said.

"Greg, be nice, will ya!" Melissa said as Rog patted her hand and stood by the door, keeping his eyes glued on Melissa.

"Melissa, it's pretty serious. The virus has just started to attack your lungs, but I think we can take care of that. We'll have to get you in a clean room to keep any bacteria or other viruses from attacking your already weakened immune system." House told her, rather bluntly.

Melissa just stared at him, and Rog folded his hands across his chest. "Greg, I started coughing last night. Is that bad?"

"Not necessarily. There are several antiviral medications we will start you on. Since this has spread to your lungs, we'll then try highly active anti..." She cut him off.

"Let's cross that bridge when we get there. How long will you know with the first round of meds whether they've worked or not?"

"By your T-cell count, and as long as that cough doesn't get worse. We'll keep an eye out for more lesions, too. So, hopefully, that will be it."

"Ok, so, why don't I believe you?"

"Now, look. I'm not giving up hope on you, yet. I still need a babysitter for Steve." House told her, trying to reassure her.

"Rog, can you take care of getting her into a clean room?" House said as he looked at Rog. Rog nodded his head. "Ok, don't let him lift you to the other bed. He might drop you." House said as he winked at Melissa and walked toward Rog.

"Dr. House, can you really be that positive?" Rog asked hopefully. House didn't answer, but proceeded to walk out the door.

House had clinic duty in an hour, so that left him time to check further into Melissa's case. No, he couldn't be as positive with her condition as he'd hope he could have been. He walked by his office and noticed Wilson's lights were on. He peeked in and saw Wilson standing out on the balcony with no coat on. He stepped through his office door and knocked on the closed sliding glass door. "What the hell are you doing?" House screamed through the glass.

"Watching it snow." Wilson answered then turned back around to face the building across the street.

"Dude, it _isn't_ snowing!" House said, shaking his head.

"I'm waiting for it to come in!" Wilson said.

"Get in here!" House screamed. Wilson shook his head and walked back to the glass door. Wilson sat in his chair behind his desk and House sat down across from him.

"I take it you reviewed Melissa's file by the look on your face. Did you tell her?"

"I told her it spread to her lungs and she..." House started to say.

"That's not what I meant, House."

House shook his head and looked at the floor. "No, I didn't."

"I can, since I'm her oncologist." Wilson offered.

"God, Wilson. This really sucks. No, I'll do it." House said as he stood up. Wilson just nodded his head.

House walked into his office and sat behind his own desk. But he wasn't in the mood to listen to music or play the game. He didn't know what he was going to tell Melissa. There was just no way around it. House put his head on the back of his chair and closed his eyes.

A few minutes later, Cuddy came into his office and quietly stood in front of his desk.

"Greg." She said softly.

"Nooooo! I don't wanna go to school." House whined and opened his eyes.

"I've heard that before, but you have clinic duty, dear. Did you tell Melissa?" She asked.

"Oh, you know, too?" He said as he slowly stood up, grabbed his cane and walked toward the door.

"Greg, she might make it, you know, if someone is willing to donate a liver."

"You know the chances of that, Cuddy. It ain't gonna happen." House laughed. "As Melissa would say. Now, give me my Flintstone vitamins, Mom." Cuddy reached into her lab pocket and pulled out House's bottle of Vicodin. She handed him two pills.

"But I want the Dino one, too!" He playfully whined.

"Sorry, ain't gonna happen." Cuddy answered and gave him a wink.

House popped the pills into his mouth and went to the clinic in a complete mental fog. If there was one day he didn't want clinic duty, well, it'd be every day. He went to the reception desk, grabbed a file, walked to the waiting area and called out, _'Larry Jennings!'_ A man of about 60 walked toward him slowly with a heavy, painful limp.

"Ok, I'm going to exam room 3. Meet me in room 2." House told him and walked away but the man followed House to room 3. House turned around, groaned under his breath and opened the door for him.

"I'm Dr. House. What's your problem?" House asked as he closed the door.

As Larry spoke, House flipped through his medical chart. "Last week, after I shoveled snow, I got a real bad back pain. Then, a few days later, my leg started hurting. I have to use a chair to walk around the house."

"Ok. Did you plow the snow with your foot?"

"No, of course not."

"Ok, just curious. Take this form to radiology and get a CT scan. I want to make sure your leg didn't throw its back out." House said as he walked out the door. Larry just stared at him in confusion and disbelief, but slowly walked out and went to the department. House went back to the reception area, threw the file on the desk and grabbed another one.

"Dr. House, would you mind putting the file in the bin, please?" The older woman told him.

"Yes, I would." He replied as he grabbed another file and walked to the waiting area.

"Lillian Morgan!" House called out. A little girl being carried by her mother walked toward him. She was about three and had the prettiest red hair he'd ever seen. Well, that he'd ever noticed. Her face was all flushed and she had an obvious runny nose.

"Follow me." House said as he walked to exam room 2. He walked through the door first, turned around and said, "Hurry up, I don't have all day." Mrs. Morgan gave him a befuddled look and placed Lillian on the exam table.

"She's had a cold the past few days, but she won't stop sneezing and her nose keeps running." Mrs. Morgan told him.

"She has allergies. Give her Children's Sudafed." House said impatiently.

"I have given her everything over the counter that I can give her. She's run a slight fever for the past few days, as well."

"Is she prone to colds and allergies?" House asked.

"Yes, she gets them every fall, and they last until the spring." She said.

"She may need to begin allergy shots. Take her to Dr. Thompson, he's the allergist."

"Ok, thanks." House nodded his head and walked out.

_'God, can this day get any worse?'_ He asked himself as he started to throw the file on the desk, but the same woman gave him a daring, 'try it, Mister' look and he placed it between the slots. He grabbed another file and as he turned around, his pager went off. It read, 'Mel 911.' He replaced the file for the next doctor and quickly raced up to the clean room Melissa had been place in earlier in the day.

After House quickly threw on a sterile gown, mask and gloves, he walked into Melissa's clean room where she was asleep with an oxygen mask on and EKG machine wires connected to several places on her chest and legs. Cameron and Rog were checking her vitals.

"What's happened?" House asked Cameron.

"In the other room she was complaining of tightness in her chest and shortness of breath. Then when she got here her breathing capacity fell dramatically. Her blood oxygen levels are down along with hypocarbia. I gave her morphine to relax and we've got her lined up for a chest x-ray because Rog thinks she may have fluid in her lungs."

"Oh, is that right, Rog? I'm impressed. Ok, give her furosemide and let me know about her x-rays." House said. "Thanks for calling me, Cameron." House said and walked out.

Cameron stared at him as he walked out. _'Did he just thank me?'_ She asked herself.

A few minutes later, House walked into Cuddy's office and sat down heavily in a chair. "Is everything ok, Greg?" She asked.

"No." He said as he buried his face in his hands. Then he put them to his side and asked Cuddy, "What are her chances of getting a liver?"

Cuddy stood up from behind her desk and sat in the chair next to his. "Greg, it doesn't look good. I'd say there's no chance at all the board would approve her transplant."

"Dam. How long do you think she'll have?"

"It's hard to say." Cuddy said.

"With the HIV she had a shot with the clinical trials, at least. But with her liver going and fluid in her lungs, that'll more than likely turn to pneumonia." House said disheartedly.

"Let me see what I can do, baby." She said as she stood up.

"Ok, but don't do any sexual favors. You're mine, remember?" House said as he stood up as well.

"Oh, I'm yours, huh? Why is it yo..." She started to say but he pressed his lips against hers.

"Yeah, I'm yours, but only if you make me dinner tonight." She said with a grin.

"You got it! Be there at 7:15." He told her and he walked out of her office.

Cuddy sat back down at her desk, picked up the phone and dialed a few numbers. After the conversation she put the phone back down in its cradle and wrote in her calendar, '8:45 a.m. Emer Meet-Trans Com/Mel.' She just hoped her plan would work. She liked Melissa, too, but still hadn't quite understood House. But, then again, she never had fully understood the man.

Early the next morning, Cuddy walked into the clinic and headed for Melissa's room. She put on the gown and mask and walked toward her bed. She couldn't help but grin when Melissa brought her finger to her lips and 'shh'ed'. In a gown, mask, gloves, with his cane against the wall, House was asleep. His head was on his arm with it stretched across her bed and rested on her knee.

"How long has he been here?" Cuddy whispered.

"I've been staring at him snoring for the past hour." She said with a laugh, but that woke him up. He looked sleepily at Melissa first then saw where she was looking and saw Cuddy standing at the foot of the bed.

"Hey, you snore, doc." Melissa teased.

"I do not! Well, if I do, then so do you." He answered back. He sat back in the chair after he stretched.

"Then how do you know I snore when you're asleep?"

House couldn't think fast enough for a good comeback but asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel better, I really do." She told them. They looked at her sadly. "Hey, what's going on?"

Cuddy explained her situation because House couldn't. "You'll be out of here this afternoon, but I wanted to see how you were feeling because I want to know if you're up for something."

She had discussed it with House the night before at dinner, and he seemed gung-ho about it. When Cuddy was done telling her

the scheme, Melissa looked at her with a disappointed expression.

"If I go in there and give them my sad, sobby life story it's not going to make a bit of difference. Lisa, Greg, I appreciate the effort, but I do understand that with my AIDS, I'm sure there is someone out there that has a lot longer to li…no. I won't allow the transplant." She told them point blank.

"Come on, Melissa. Don't be stupid! It's worth a shot. Why are you giving up?" House fussed at her.

"I'm not giving up. I'm being realistic, and possibly saving someone else's life."

"Oh, please. Don't give me that martyr crap!" House said. Cuddy had grown quiet because there seemed to be a more important issue between those two so she stepped back against the wall.

"Greg, that's not the case. It won't work."

"How do you know?" He asked her. She was silent for a moment.

"Greg, I am NOT your sister! I do not need you to save me because you lost your own sister!" She raised her voice back at him, then turned red in the face from the anger.

"Ok, ok, you two. That's enough." Cuddy said as she walked toward them.

House sighed, took in a deep breath, and knew he couldn't win this battle. He shook his head and said, "It's your funeral." Then he walked out of the room.

Melissa lay in bed and tears filled her eyes. "Lisa, he doesn't understand." She cried.

"Oh, yes, he does. More than you know, Melissa." Cuddy spent the next half hour telling Melissa about House's leg surgery and his sister committing suicide.

"Oh, God, hell. And I said that about saving his sister!" Tears started to fall again. "I know he's trying to help, but I just feel he is sacrificing too much for me when he needs to get on with his own life." She hesitated for a moment trying to hold back the flood of tears.

"Melissa, the thing with House is he doesn't open his heart very often. But when he does, you better take it. Because if you don't it'll close before you realize it and you may never see it again." Cuddy told her, choking back her own tears because it just dawned on her she was actually referring to herself.

"Then get me out of here and to that meeting, will ya?" Melissa said with a smile on her face.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy walked into her office to prepare for the transplant committee. There was less than half an hour before it started, and when House walked in she wasn't happy to see him at all.

"House, I've got to get stuff together for the meeting." She told him.

"Oh, don't mind me." House said as he sat down on the couch. "Just let me know when you are ready."

With five minutes before the meeting, Cuddy stood up, grabbed her folders, tapped House on his knee because he'd fallen asleep, and headed to a board room with House behind her. Cuddy opened the door and walked in, but House saw, across from the door, Melissa in a wheel chair and Rog standing next to her. She gave him a smile, but he didn't smile back. But he did smile. In his heart he smiled. Then he walked into the room and the door closed behind him.

Melissa anxiously sat in the hall with Rog until Cuddy came through the door and wheeled Melissa into the room. She individually caught the eye of each of the members; four men and three women sitting around the table, with House sitting at the far end. She thought he winked, but she didn't respond.

Cuddy placed Melissa at the head of the table and sat down next to her. Melissa cleared her throat, took a deep breath and started her plea.

"My name is Melissa FitzHugh and I am 21. I grew up with alcoholic parents and when I was 16 I moved in with my boyfriend who did and sold cocaine. I was recently in rehab for abusing cocaine, was raped two years ago and now have AIDS. And I desperately need a liver.

"Did I want to live when I was in rehab? Not really. Did I think I had a future when I was in rehab? Most certainly not. But after I met Dr. House he gave me a reason to live; a possible future. So, ask me now if I want to live. Ask me now if I have a future." No one answered.

"With this AIDS, I understand I have no more than five years to live; without a liver I have no more than six months. A mother down the hall with five children needs a liver. With it, she'd live to a ripe old age. So, you do the math.

"I'm not asking for a liver. I'm only asking for a chance. To live. Right now."

Melissa nodded her head as she looked at Cuddy, who wheeled her back into the hallway to Rog. Cuddy was speechless; she simply smiled at Melissa and went back to the board room.

"Rog, take me to my room, please."

"Don't you want to stay and hear what the vote is?" Rog started to say.

"No, I don't." She simply said.


	8. Chapter 8

In this chapter, Stacy returns.

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

Cuddy closed the front door of her home and walked into the warm, sunny, clear late-May morning. She stopped to look at her bed of flowers that she'd planted earlier in the spring and took in deeply the scent of the flowers. She was happy, happier than she'd been in a long time. The past three months hadn't been as bad as she thought they'd be, and for that she was thankful. She got into her car, lowered all the windows and drove to work with a smile on her face.

Back at Cameron's…

"Robert, we're meeting the gang for dinner tonight, ok?" Cameron reminded Chase as they walked toward the front door.

"Yeah, fine." He said.

"What's wrong? You have barely said two words to me and hardly touched your cereal."

"I'm ok, I'm ok." He said. They each got into their own cars and headed off to work.

Back at the clinic…

"Good morning, Assistant!" Cuddy said as she walked through the door to her office and put her briefcase on her desk.

"Good morning, boss! It's been two weeks and you are still calling me that." Her assistant said with a smile on her face. "You got two calls from Greystone Insurance and one from a Matthew St. George, who will call you back later." She continued as she brought Cuddy a cup of coffee and the messages.

"Thanks, Melissa." Cuddy said as she looked at the message forms. She hesitated at St. George's message. 'This couldn't be good news.' She thought to herself.

"Have you trained that man to get up in the morning, yet?" Cuddy asked as Melissa sat back down behind her own desk.

"Hey, isn't that your job? You're his girlfriend, I'm just his tenant." Melissa teased. "He had a restless night. He was playing that piano late and kept Stevie up. But at least he wasn't playing his ragtime crap. I think it was 1:45 the last I looked at my clock."

"Hmm, ok. Are you still coming to dinner with us tonight?" Cuddy asked.

"You betcha! Rog said he's paying for mine."

"Uh, dear, it's a business meeting. I'm paying for it."

"Oh, no wonder he was so eager to pay." They laughed.

Back at House's apartment…

House lay in bed and opened his eyes after he heard Melissa say goodbye to 'Stevie McQueenie' from the living room. He looked around at his clean bedroom, with books neatly stacked on his dresser and clothes neatly hung up in the closet. He wasn't sure if he liked it being neat or not, but at least he was able to find clothes quicker.

He was surprised at how easily Melissa's move into the spare bedroom had been. Granted, there wasn't much, but her little pieces of furniture fit nicely in the room, he had to admit to himself. She stayed in her room a lot, unless Cuddy wasn't over or Rog wasn't over to give the other privacy. Melissa always felt funny having Rog hang out in her room, but of course, that didn't bother House at all. They just made an agreement to 'keep IT down.'

And he couldn't believe how she loved riding his bike in to work with him. The few that asked House about Melissa riding in to work with him he just said he picks her up at the bus stop. At first he was uncomfortable with everyone knowing his business, but she had to convince him she hadn't told anyone, which was the truth. He couldn't help think of her arms around his waist and thinking of LizBeth, and wondered if she would have liked to ride, as well.

His therapy had been going very well. Well, he had two outbursts and Dr. Parker had to kick him out, but he'd always return and behave himself, to a degree. But, he was still being monitored with the Vicodin through Dr. Cuddy, and that had been working so far.

The morning went by uneventful and as Melissa arrived back at House's apartment around lunch time he was walking out the door to go to work. It had been that way for two weeks since she'd started to work part-time with Cuddy.

"Hey, I'll pick you up at 5:45 for dinner, ok?" House said cheerily.

"Rog is pickin' me up."

"Oh, that's right. Fine. See ya later!"

The gang sat around O'Brien's Tavern and Pub earlier that night. Rog stood up and tried to get everyone to be quiet for a second.

"I'd like to ma…" Still, no one got quiet.

"HEY! EF Hutton says!" Wilson screamed out, and they all got quiet. Not for Rog to speak, but because they didn't know what the heck he was talking about.

"Uh, that commercial…in the 70s..oh, wait…" Wilson started to say and everyone laughed, except Rog.

"Ok, guys! I want to make a toast to a couple of people, if I may."

"No! You may not! Now sit down!" House screamed at Rog, but he just kept on talking.

"I want to thank everyone for letting my transition to PPTH a smooth one, and for putting up with me and my three left feet and two right ones." Rog started to say.

Here, here!" House screamed as he raised his glass. Rog rolled his eyes and Foreman couldn't help but grin at House.

"And I especially want to thank Dr. Hou…" House interrupted House again.

"Hey! That's me! Ok, everyone be quiet!" Wilson reached out and smacked House in the back of the head with a hearty 'thuddish-thwap.'

"OW!" House yelled out, but it didn't really hurt.

"As I was saying," Rog finally said with a small chuckle. "I want to thank Dr. House and Dr. Cuddy for everything they've done for Melissa during her liver transplant and recuperating and giving her and me more time to be together." Rog finally said and raised his glass.

Melissa's face turned a little red, and Rog couldn't resist bending over and giving her a kiss. And she kissed him back, with passion. All the others at the table and the noise in the room all vanished…until Rog and Melissa felt silverware being tossed at them and then heard the 'oooh, that's soo gross' and 'get a room' from everyone at the table. Yes, everyone.

Rog stood up with his face a little blushed, too and said, "Dr. Cuddy, I have a knife in my back. I need to file for work- man's comp!"

"File the paper with me in the morning!" Cuddy answered him as he sat down.

And the gang sat around the table sharing stories, food, laughs and genuine feelings for one another.

"Hey! If Sharon Lemon married Joe Ade she'd be Sharon Lemon-Ade!" Rog screamed out sounding quite tipsy after he drank only two beers, and they weren't lites. Everyone booed him, then couldn't help but laugh at his corny joke. Everyone went home that night with a full stomach, a spinning head and genuine affection for their coworkers. Until the next morning, when all hell broke loose.

The next morning, Chase, Cameron, Rog and Foreman were sitting in the conference room waiting for their next case, if there was going to be a case. It had been really slow the past few weeks and they were all bored.

Rog kept busy making his collection of cases they'd been working on from first admittance of patient to their release. Chase kept staring at Cameron trying to get her attention but she was too enthralled looking over House's mail and deciding which case she wanted House to review. Foreman, on the other hand, sat solemnly in the chair staring at the wall. He still hadn't gotten over Michelle, even though it had been three months, but he would, eventually. Melissa tried fixing him up with a friend of hers, but then after two dates she went back to her ex-boyfriend.

"MR. Foreman! In my office, NOW!" House screamed from his office after he'd checked his voice messages that morning.

Cameron and Chase looked at each other quickly then watched Foreman walk through the door. They watched as House's hands flew in the air, his mouth contorted with angry words with his face and neck turned red. Foreman's shoulders slowly slumped from the normal arrogance. They couldn't see Foreman's face from the angle he was standing, but they knew the gist of it: Foreman was in deep trouble.

Foreman left House's office but went out through his main office door. House glanced into the conference room and saw all three of them staring at him so he waved with a 'what are _you_ looking at?' expression.

"I knew he couldn't be cool for more than 24 hours, Allison! You owe me dinner." Chase told her as he snickered.

"Well, he must have a reason why he went off on him." Cameron said.

"Oh, stop defending him!" Chase tried to whisper.

"I think it's his time of the month." Rog said out of the blue.

"Oh, he doth speaketh!" Chase said sarcastically.

"In case you guys haven't noticed, he's been getting crankier the past month." Rog told them.

"Crankier than usual? That's hard to believe." Chase said.

"Hey, isn't a man allowed to be cranky when he wants to? We have to put up with you women PMSing." House said as he snuck in the conference room; Chase hadn't seen him come in because his back was to the door.

"House, are you alright? Is anything wrong?" Cameron asked as he poured a cup of coffee.

"Yeah, there's always something wrong. That's the story of my life." He answered sadly, then walked back into his office and sat down hard in his chair.

What House was really upset about was the phone call from Stacy from the hospital in Denver. Her message said: "Greg, it's me. I had the baby last night. It's a little girl and we named her Charnie Warner after Mark's grandfather. We're both doing fine…I mean Charnie and I. Hope you're doing well. Bye, Greg."

Later that morning, Foreman sat in the lab doing the blood work for the13 patients House assigned to him, which would take him the rest of the day.

'_Well, at least he didn't give me clinic duty._' Foreman thought to himself. Just then, House stuck his head in the door with Chase and Rog behind him.

"By the way, you have three of my clinic hours tomorrow, dude!" House barked then walked away leaving Chase and Rog to catch up with Foreman.

"Man, what did you do?" Chase asked as he sat down.

Rog stood by the table and grabbed a chair, but it twisted in his hand and banged against the table, sending the vials of blood from the patients crashing to the floor.

"Damit, Rog! I spent two hours getting all that blood!" Foreman yelled at him.

"I'll call maintenance to get it cleaned up." Rog said as he moved the chairs that were around the table.

"Oh, you'll do more than that! You will go get the blood from the patients again." Foreman said to Rog nastily.

"Foreman, look, I know House is probably still angry with you when you were his boss for that short time. Granted, that was almost six months ago and he should have forgotten about it. But, you need to lighten up, man!"

Foreman looked at Rog and let the words sink in, as he realized he did have a point. "Ok, look, sorry. But he is really pushing my buttons."

"Right. And you're allowing him to push those buttons. Why can't you get along with him? I think it's because you two are too similar and neither one of you will back off." Rog said.

"Rog, when I want your opinion, I'll give it to you." Foreman snapped as he went to a cabinet and pulled out another box of vials to take the blood again.

"Bye, House!" Rog said as Foreman walked out of the lab. Chase and Rog cracked up at his little 'you're sooo like House' little dig at Foreman.

When Rog and Chase were walking down the hall to go back to the conference room, they ran into Cameron who was headed to a patient's room.

"Chase, can I talk to you for a sec?" Cameron asked, giving Rog a funny glare. Rog went ahead to the conference room so the two could have some privacy.

"Chase, you remember Doug, my older brother? He's coming in next weekend. Do you have anything planned?" She asked him.

"Well, from what you told me about him, I'll find somewhere else to go." She couldn't help but grin. "From what you told me about him, I should be scared."

"Yeah, a little. But he's harmless."

"I'm sure he's harmless 'til he meets the man that gets his baby sister pregnant."

"No, Robert. He'd be more harmless to you than to How…" Cameron cut herself off from speaking. Chase frowned at her trying to figure what it was she was really trying to say.

"I've told you before, honey, he's fine. Just watch out for his left hook." She said as she winked and walked away from him.

Right after lunchtime, House walked down the hall toward Cuddy's office but not to see her. He wanted to know when Melissa was leaving because he was ready to go home and wanted to know if she wanted a ride. Not that he really wanted to drive her home. He wanted his place quiet for a change so he could think.

'Oh, stop being a bastard. She's always quiet.' House scoffed to himself.

"Hey, Doc! Sorry, but there ain't no complaints against you today! But I'm sure some will come in tomorrow!" Melissa said with a laugh. He smiled at her, although he felt it was forced.

"You need a ride home?" He asked her as he grabbed some M&Ms out of a bowl she kept on her desk.

She looked at him for a moment as if she were trying to look through him. "Only if you buy me lunch."

He cocked his head and said, "Uh, wait, that's two favors to you and none for me. What's up with that?"

"Darnit! I was hoping you wouldn't catch that. Ok, I'll drive, you pay." She said.

House walked to Melissa and felt her forehead with his left hand. "No, no fever. But I think you are seriously ill." She burst out laughing.

"Ok, you drive a hard bargain! But I can only afford McDonald's." She said as she stood up. He tapped the end of his cane at her shoulder and she laughed.

About half an hour later they were sitting at Quervo's Cantina. Before their food arrived, they munched on nachos while she talked the whole time, basically. House kept looking around the room, avoiding eye contact with her. After their food arrived, House messily ate a steak fajita, and Melissa ate a steak Quessadilla.

"Ok, Greg. I have a question for ya." Melissa said as she swallowed her last bite and took a sip of her Sangria. "And I don't want any smartass answers, from you, ok?" She said sternly.

He looked at her, took a huge bite of the fajita and sat back as he slowly chewed.

"Good, I'm glad your mouth is full. You can't argue with me when I chew you out. Ah! That was funny. Chew you out! You're being a pig…on, never mind."

House raised his eyebrows in curiosity, chewed as fast as he could, swallowed, sipped his beer and put his elbows on the table in full interest of what she was about to ask.

"I wanna know what your problem is." She finally said.

"Oh, is that all? If you haven't figured out what my problem is you never will."

She sat back and glared at him. "Seriously, there has been something that's been bothering you for a couple of months. I don't want to pry and overstep my bounds as your tenant, but as your friend, I think I have a right to ask."

House was impressed at how Melissa approached his 'more than normal snarkiness.' "I think I've pretty much stayed out of your way." House told her.

Melissa shook her head. "No, no. I'm not talking about that! That's the thing. You're getting too much into my business." She hesitated a moment.

"You ask me where I am when I go out after 7, even though I tell you I go to Rog's. I hear you flush the toilet moments after I walk through the door. That's happened more than once so there's no coincidence there. You never leave for work until I walk through the door, and I know you wait until I do sometimes because I've heard Cuddy on the phone with you when I'm still there! And you are playing that piano into the wee hours. Not that I'm complaining about that, though. I have my moments of needing stress relief, too. And like I said, Greg, I don't want to pry, but I'd hoped at least by now you'd know you can talk to me."

House took a deep breath, shook his head and took a sip of Melissa's Sangria. "I think I need something stronger than my beer."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's bothering you? And why are you being so protective of me?"

"I didn't know I had a watch dog as a tenant." House snapped.

"Oh, is that how you see me? A 'watchdog?'"

"If the shoe fits." House said.

Melissa shot back, "I can usually put up with your stupidity and not let what you say phase me. But you can be a real ass, you know that? I'm just concerned about you! Oh, but I forgot! Dr. Gregory House doesn't _need_ anyone to care about him. Oh, heaven forbid! You know what? I'm done."

She got her wallet from her purse, threw money on the table and stood up.

"I'll walk the rest of the way home." She said as she turned and quickly walked out of the restaurant.

House sat shocked for a moment then he shook his head, grabbed the money she put on the table, pulled bills from his own wallet as he stood up and followed her out to the street. He had trouble reaching her because she was walking very fast, and with his leg starting to ache it was almost impossible. But he kept yelling her name and she kept on walking. House finally stopped, turned around and headed back to the restaurant. He put the key in the bike's ignition and went after her that way.

"Ma-lyssa!" House called as he slowly led the bike to run the same speed as she was walking.

"Come on! Don't be like this!" He hollered. She kept on walking.

House cursed, pulled ahead a few car spaces and parked the bike. He jumped off but landed on his right leg harder than he antici-pated and went down on his right knee. Melissa had been trying to ignore him but she couldn't when she saw him go down. She ran to him and reached for his elbow to pull him up. He mumbled something under his breath as he slowly stood and put his left hand on the seat of the bike to balance himself.

"Melissa, get on the bike. We'll talk when we get home, ok?" House said but she just stood staring at him.

"No, I've had it. I've tried to be understanding and patient but I can't anymore." She said.

"Please? You'll understand, believe me." He begged.

She sighed, put her hands on her hips and thought a moment. "Fine. At least you'll know where I'll be." She said

sarcastically and straddled the bike. He smiled at her as he got on the bike himself and sped off, faster than he had to. She had to hold onto him tighter and she buried her face in his back as they drove back to House's apartment.

---Back in Cameron's apartment, she and Chase just sat down to eat dinner.

"Did Foreman ever tell you why House made him do all that blood work?" Cameron asked as she sipped her wine.

"Yeah. House is still ticked off that Foreman was his boss. That was six months ago! He needs to get over it."

"Are you serious? That's all it was?" Cameron said, shaking her head. "He needs to seriously grow up."

"You mean you are not defending him?"

"No, not anymore. Robert, I understand House is a great doctor. You know that, too, or you wouldn't be working for him. But he has too many issues that he needs to deal with, and it gets tiresome being on the receiving end of his tirades. No, something needs to be done. What were his conditions of being released from rehab?"

"Allison, I have no idea." He told her.

"Well, Cuddy would know. She needs to know what's going on."

"And you are planning on talking to her about it?" He asked.

"No, I was hoping you would."

"Excuse me? No, he already hates me and still wants me fired. Do you really think I'd do that? Besides, I've got that letter in my file, and I need to stay clean for as long as I can." He said.

"It didn't stop you from trying to get that bone marrow from Anica, did it?"

"Now, look, that was a completely different story." He objected.

"Oh, it was? How?"

"Because it involved a life-or-death situation of a patient. In this case, it doesn't." He simply said.

"Robert, you've ratted on him before, with Vogler for instance, and there was no patient involved. It was the only way of you getting on up on House. So, what do ya say?"

"I still say no, Allison, especially when you put it that way."

"What way? Hey, if you really look at it, the only person you going to Cuddy is going to hurt is House. Well, it won't hurt him; he'll think it will, though. But, whether you like it or not, I do care about House." She said.

"Oh, you do, do you?" He snipped.

"Robert, stop it! I don't have House. I never had House. I had a 'thing' for Hou..."

"A 'thing?' Can you be more specific?"

"No. But, it's you I have now, not House. It's you I want now, not House. And you don't have to worry about Doug.' She tried to reassure him. "We've been dating almost six months and I think it's about time he met you."

"But you said he gave a kid a concussion in high school!"

"And I also said the other kid had an army knife in his hand, too! They call that self-defense here in the states. I don't know about Australia." She teased him.

"Oh, very funny." He said.

Chase and Cameron went to bed that night happy; happy to be together. He turned on the radio and 'With You' by Prince was playing.

'I've kissed your lips so many times. And I still get the feeling I felt the very first time. I kiss your lips and lay with you. And I cherish every moment we spend in each other's arms.

'Guess my eyes can only see as far as you. I only want to be with you.

'We've come so far in so little time, guess sometimes I wonder if this is meant to be. Sometimes you are so very kind that the nights you're not with me I'm scared that you're gonna leave.

'I guess you could say that I'm just being a fool. But I only want to be with you.'

Chase rolled back over and kissed Cameron goodnight as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"Robert, I love you." She told him for the first time.

"I love you, too, Allison." And she kissed him back. They made love that night. Not had sex, but made love. And they fell asleep with their bodies entwined as if they were one entity. And, in a way, they were.

---Earlier that evening, back at House's apartment, Melissa was in her room changing into shorts and a t-shirt when she heard House on the piano play the intro to 'Get Here' by Oletta Adams, then immediately switch over to 'It's Not Easy To Be Me' by David Grey.

She walked into the living room, quietly sat down and watched him play with her knees to her chest and her arms wrapped around them. He magically turned the keys into a silhouette of grey storm clouds brought into her mind by the emotion he evoked in the keys. And she was touched.

'I can't stand to fly, I'm not that naïve. I'm just out to find the better part of me. I'm more than a bird. I'm more than a plane. I'm more than some pretty face beside a train.

And it's not easy to be me…'

That was one of those rare songs that hit home with her, to a lot of people, apparently. She finally figured out that's because she'd always searched for a better life than what fate had handed her so far. And, here she was, with a safe roof over her head, a job she actually loved for a change, people who cared about her for the first time in her life, and Rog.

Pounding on the piano was his way of getting his frustrations out. She thought to herself: _'He is the most complicated man I've ever met. One minute he can actually show he has a heart, and the next second turn on you. And from what I've heard about him since I've been with Cuddy, he is your basic Grinch, with a little Scrooge and "Mommie Dearest" thrown in.' _

If House was such a GrinRoogOmDear, then why had he let her stay at his place? He finally belted out the last of the notes and grabbed his glass of Scotch on the bench beside him.

"Greg, that was beautiful." Melissa said softly. He slowly turned to look at her; he hadn't realized she was right there.

He nodded his head as if to say, 'thanks' but he seemed a little embarrassed she was there.

"Where did you learn to play like that?" She asked.

"I'd sneak into the music room in high school." He said humbly.

"Wow. Somehow I believe you." She said as he stood up and sat down in his recliner facing the couch where Melissa was. They stared at each other like they were having a contest on who was going to be the first to speak. And, of course, House won.

"Greg, you want me to move out?" She asked.

"Yes….no. I don't know." He knew he was in trouble because whenever she used his first name she was serious; 'Doc' was when she was being playful. He took a sip of Scotch as if that would make the words come to his mouth easier.

"Rog and I talked about me moving in with him, but, I'm not sure if I want to do that, yet. It's too soon, there's a lot to consider and I'm just not sure if I want to get serious with anyone. I know about your sister, Greg, and I can't help but feel like I'm here in her place. And I know you can't have no one fill the place of someone you've lost when you were young." She said sadly.

House looked at her contemplating exactly what she meant by that and asked, "When you were hallucinating up at the cabin, you whispered 'Ted.' Who is Ted?"

"Ted was my older cousin. He'd always come over and 'rescue' me when things got bad at home. But when I was 12 he was killed by a drunk driver, and I just lost it. That's why I was with Jack so young. It was just to be out of the house and away from

my parents."

"So, you see me as Ted, same as I see you as LizBeth." He tossed the idea at her.

"NO! Well…" She thought it over a moment. "I guess so."

"So, what's the problem? Do you _want_ to move out?" After a brief moment she shook her head.

"Good, I don't want you to move out either. And I'll lighten up on you if you make dinner for me every night." He said seriously.

"Excuse me? Oh, you've already played that little reverse 'pshyc' trick on me. Nice, by the way! Three nights a week and Sundays." She offered and they both laughed.

"What was it you were going to tell me back at the restaurant?" She asked since he appeared to win the 'avoidance' game again.

He apologized for what he'd said to her earlier and explained he'd gotten some disturbing news earlier that morning. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the $50 she'd put on the table before she stormed out of the restaurant and handed it to her.

"What's this, Doc?" She asked as she took the money.

"It's for groceries. I just said you had to make dinner, not buy it." He lied. "I'm going to bed."

"No, you're not." She said.

He stood and stared at her. "And why not?"

"Because you didn't give me a reasonable explanation for why you've been so irritable lately."

"I didn't know I had to."

"You do now. That's the only reason I got on your bike." She told him.

He looked up at the ceiling and as he looked at her he said, "Because I'm a father now." And he walked away to his bedroom with Melissa watching him.

'_What the hell?'_ She asked herself. Then she shrugged, telling herself she'd never really fully understand that man, but she did know one thing. He did have a heart. He didn't show it much, but he had one. And she went to her own bedroom and sat on the bed, thinking, then fell to sleep a moment later.

Early the next morning, House had to fight with Melissa to get up. But she was just trying to make a point of how difficult it was to get _him_ up in the mornings. He ended up throwing at pillow at her face and she threw one right back at him.

"Hey, I've got something for you!" House said excitedly.

"What? Oh, goody!" She said like a little girl. "Wha' is it? I wanna see it!"

"It's 'out there'." He said as he cocked his head toward the door. She jumped out of bed and ran to the living room, leaving the bed sheet a tangled mess on the floor.

"Where? Where is it, Doc?" She screamed, but he was standing right behind her.

"It's in the dining room." She turned around and saw, there, on the table, a motorcycle helmet.

"OH! You bought me a bike? Kewl, thanks!" She said as she picked up the helmet and put it on. "Ok, so, where's the leather jacket and key?"

"Girl, do you think I'm made out of money?" He asked with a smile on his face at seeing her so happy.

"Well, yeah! Duh!" She teased.

"Sorry to tell you, but it's just a helmet. But it's _purple_! Geez, I thought you would have loved it being purple." He said, faking a cry.

"Oh! But I _love_ that it's purple! Ok, I'm ready for work!" She squealed as she headed for the door.

"Woman! I think you are forgetting something." She looked at him confused then saw that he was looking at her from head to toe. She looked down and noticed she was in her shorts and tank top.

"Oh, Lord!" She burst out laughing. "Does this mean I can at least drive it now, then?" She asked him as she took the helmet off and placed it on the couch.

"Heck, no! Are you insane?"

"Yeah, just a little. I'm living with you, aren't I? But you will take me to work, right?" He smiled and nodded his head.

As House drove to work with Melissa holding onto him tightly his mood was up somewhat, but he still thought of Stacy and the baby. He had been dreading that phone call the past couple of weeks. He wanted to call her back, but something told him not to. His pride, maybe?

Melissa walked into Cuddy's office as she said 'thanks' and waved, and House continued to the elevator, where he ran into Foreman. They rode up together, but neither spoke a word to the other. Foreman was still angry about being House's stress relief but he didn't let House know it. House stood back with a smug expression and waited for Foreman to react, which he didn't. They walked into the conference room where they met Cameron, Chase and Rog. House went to his office to get rid of his helmet and duffle bag, then came back with a coffee mug.

"Romeo, Juliet is downstairs for ya!" House said with a smirk. Rog poked his face out from behind a medical book and smiled.

"Good morning, boss." Rog said.

House frowned. "That's MR. Dr. House Boss to you, Rog." House said as he walked back to his office.

"House?" Chase called to get his attention. "We haven't had a patient in almost three weeks."

"Well, go poison someone but don't tell us what you gave them." House shot back at Chase. Rog just shook his head and Chase smirked.

Just then House's phone rang and Cameron picked it up. She gasped, frowned, looked at House, then hung up quickly and stood up.

"House, it's Charlie. He's just been admitted in the E.R. Sarah and Wilson are down there too."

House, Cameron and Rog all ran out of the office into the hallway and down to the E.R. As Rog and Cameron stood outside in the hall but watched through the glass, House walked into the E.R. and saw Charlie unconscious with an oxygen mask on and sweat pour from his face. A doctor was giving him an I.V. with medications in it. Sarah was crying, but calm, in the corner of the room while Wilson and the other doctors worked on him.

"What happened?" House asked Sarah as he went to stand by her and watched intently.

Wilson hollered out, "GET TNF TO CHECK FOR CYTOKINES TO SEE HOW MUCH TISSUE THE VENOM HAS AFFECTED!"

"I wen...went ow...get...per this morning...dam wasps...nest...by the doo.." Sarah was slowly calming down and the crying wasn't as intense. "He got stung two years a--go and only had a little reaction. But this...he screamed so loud, God! It made my blood curl..." She blew her nose in a Kleenex. "The area of the sting on his wrist was the si-ize of a grape within minutes, and poor James freaked out. I've never seen him freak out."

House looked over at the team working on Charlie. His pulse was thready and his blood pressure was too low.

"DAMIT! HIS THROAT IS CLOSING UP! DYSPNEA...GET ME A SCAPEL!" Wilson ordered as he wiped away drool that was coming out of the corner of Charlie's mouth.

"James, what IS it?" Sarah started to say but House held her back.

"Let them work, Sarah." House said calmly to her. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his shoulder.

A nurse sterilized Charlie's throat at the diaphragm and Wilson cut quickly about two inches, then a nurse handed him a tube to get air into his lungs.

"Ok, he's breathing now, Wilson." The doctor said. "Give him Methylprednisolone to decrease the swelling and Diphenhydramine to fight the histamine. And check his IgE level; we don't want him going into anaphylactic shock."

"And check his leukocytosis on the CBC for demargination from catecholamine, also electrolyte, BUN and creatinine level and check for any liver damage." Wilson ordered as he stepped back from the table and let the nurses draw more blood from his son.

He walked to Sarah and pulled her to him and she broke into tears. Wilson shot a look at House and he could see the look of fright in House's eyes, even though just by looking at him no one else would have been able to see that.

"Come on, there's nothing els..." House started to say but Sarah interrupted him.

"I am _not_ leaving here until I know he is ok, Greg!" Sarah said sternly.

"Baby, he's in goo..." Wilson started to say.

"James, no way. You can go if you want, but...God, he's all I have." Sarah said and burst into tears.

Wilson could do nothing but hold her to him again and sat her down in a chair that was right behind her. "Ok, baby, we'll stay here." Wilson told her. She fought back more tears and stared at her son on the table.

House leaned against the wall and watched as the nurses and doctor continued to monitor Charlie's condition.

"Ok, his breathing has improved and his blood pressure is coming back up. Good job." The head doctor said as he left the room. Wilson smiled at Sarah, who looked at House. He nodded his head and smiled back at her.

"I've got an appointment in a few minutes." House said as he patted Wilson on his shoulder, who nodded.

"Thanks, Greg." He said and House nodded back.

House walked out of the E.R. and gave a sigh of relief; little Charlie was doing better. He headed up to the third floor for his 'mind cleansing' with Dr. Parker. Cameron headed back up to the conference room. Rog headed to Dr. Cuddy's office to see Melissa.

"Hi, sweetie! Guess what Doc gave me?" Melissa asked with a smile as Rog walked through the door.

"Your own place?" He said seriously.

She whispered so Cuddy couldn't hear. "Rog, we've talked about this before. I'm not ready to move in with you. It doesn't mean I've stopped caring about you, I've told you that."

"How did your dinner date go with Dr. House?" He asked with an increasing look of anger.

"Stop it! Why you so insecure about me staying with him? The man is like a brother to me. And you have to admit, he has gotten nicer, don't you think?" Melissa caught Cuddy looking at them but turned away quickly.

"Rog, we'll talk about this later. Now isn't the best time." She said.

"There's nothing to talk about, Melissa. It's over." Rog said and walked out of the office.

Melissa stared at the door, then the clock. It was only 11:00; she had two more hours of work. She felt tears swell in her eyes and fought keeping them at bay. She looked up to see Cuddy walk toward her. Melissa turned away as Cuddy sat in the chair beside her desk.

"I couldn't help but overhear. Are you ok?" Cuddy asked.

Melissa nodded her head. "I can't say I blame him. But he has a real problem with me being at Greg's. It's harmless!

Besides, everyone knows you two are an item now. It's ok...it's ok." Melissa said as she got her composure. "It's better this way. Ok, what report do you need, now?"

Cuddy looked at her a little shocked. Melissa picked up on it and said, "Oh, hey. I let him in as far as I thought I could handle, and it was fine. Great. But, I'm glad I found out what kind of man he is before we actually did have sex."

"You two nev…" Cuddy asked.

Melissa laughed. "No. And I think he was just looking for an excuse to end it. I couldn't do it…sleep with him. Oh, he stayed the night, but we just talked and cuddled." She said as she wiped the sole tear from her cheek.

"Can you keep a secret?" Cuddy asked. Melissa nodded her head and smiled, thinking Cuddy was going to tell her they'd gotten real serious, like, marriage.

"Greg and I split up last weekend." She said sadly.

Melissa shook her head. "What? I don't believe it."

"Haven't you wondered why I haven't been over, lately?"

"No, Lisa. He went to your place a lot, and the past week he's been with you. Hasn't he? He's been coming home after midnight." She asked when Cuddy frowned.

"No, he hasn't been with me. You said all week?"

Melissa nodded her head. "Please, please don't tell him I told you! He'll think I betrayed him."

"Don't worry, I won't. I'm sorry about you and Rog, but men! Who needs 'em anyway!" Cuddy said as she stood up.

"Lisa, us women do! We may hate them sometimes, but we need them." Melissa said as she laughed.

Later that afternoon, House was sitting on the couch opposite Dr. Parker, pretending to be completely bored with being there.

"Dr. House, what has been going on with the relationship between you and your father?" She asked. House just shrugged his shoulders and slouched deeper into the couch, spreading his legs as far out as he could.

"You do understand if you don't cooperate with any of these sessions that we'll have no other choice but to re-admit you to the rehab center." She warned.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't understand the question. I was just letting it go through my wheels and cranks before I answered. It's fantastic between me and Dad!" House answered, obviously too over-dramatic and quite sarcastic.

"When was the last time you talked with him?"

"At the rehab center when he was so very supportive of me."

"Dr. House, where do you want to be going with this? Because if you have all this extra time to be wasting my time, I've no problem with that at all. I've got all the time in the world, because you, Sir, need a lot of work."

"Oh, thanks! I'm glad you think I'm a piece of work. That's a great compliment."

"What was it that happened to make you hate your father so much?" She asked as delicately as she could. He stared at her blankly, trying to find the words that he'd said only twice in his life. He said them before, why couldn't he say them again?

"Ok, I see we aren't going anywhere there. How are things with you and Melissa?" She asked.

"Good."

"Just good?" She asked.

"Yep."

"Have you two had any problems with the living arrangements?"

"Nope."

"How is your relationship with Cuddy going?"

"We broke up. Wanna go out with me?" He asked with a sly grin.

"That won't work with me, Dr. House. In that case, do you think there will be any issues with Melissa still living with you?"

"She's not living with me, she's renting a room. She has a boyfriend."

"That didn't stop you from trying to 'get' Stacy even though she is married."

House narrowed his eyes at her and said, "Oooh, you're good!"

"How has it been with the painkiller being monitored? Have you had any particularly bad days?" She asked.

"Every single day." He said bluntly.

"That's a whole other session, Dr. House. What I'm concerned about now is any lack of judgment on your part."

"Pertaining to _what_, exactly?" He asked sharply.

"I understand it was pretty hard to adjust after your infarction. I'm just curious if you've ever had any thoughts on ending it all?"

"You mean like a need to jump off the highest bridge? All the time, Dr. It starts when I walk into the clinic, but miraculously subsides as soon as I walk out the door."

"I'm being serious. Have you had any suicidal thoughts?" Again, House stared at her blankly. A simple yes or no question and he didn't know what to say. He slowly nodded his head yes.

"What's stopping you?" She asked point blank.

He answered, "Melissa."

"Why?"

"Because I don't wa…" He stopped speaking.

"You don't want to what?"

After a brief hesitation he said, "I don't want to let her down."

"Let her down? You don't owe her anything. Who do you _really_ owe, Dr. House?"

He sat in silence for a few minutes but did not look at Dr. Parker but stared at the wall, floor, anything but look at her. Because he knew as soon as he did, and said that one name, it'd be all over for him. He'd cry. Actually cry in front of someone. Someone would know he was hurting. Someone would know he had a heart. 'But, this was confidential, right?' He thought to himself.

"LizBeth." He softly whispered.

---After Rog left Melissa he went back to the conference room. Foreman and Chase glanced at one another because they could tell there was something wrong with him.

"Where's Cameron?" Foreman asked Rog.

"With Sarah." He answered.

"Did Juliet take the poison already, Romeo?" Chase asked with a snicker.

He looked at Chase and shook his head. "You guys ever have problems with women?" Rog asked.

They both burst out laughing. "Who hasn't, man?" Foreman answered.

"What do you guys think of House?" Rog asked.

"Oh, that story will be on 20/20 tonight. Don't miss it." Chase said sarcastically.

"Wait, I get it. You're jealous of House!" Foreman asked amused.

"No, I'm not. It's just…she seems to be leaning on him, but she won't talk to me. She won't even move in with me." He told them.

"That _is_ jealousy." Foreman insisted.

"Rog, does this have anything to do with Melissa having AIDS? Do you think she's keeping you at a distance because of that?" Chase asked.

"No, it has nothing to do with that. I know how to protect myself. I really like her, and I haven't even pressured her about having sex…not until she's ready. But her being with House…I can't handle that." Rog said.

"You mean to tell me you two haven't slept together?" Chase asked surprised.

"Yeah, we've slept together. We just haven't had sex. And don't make it sound like that! If you were in my shoes, would you be worried about your girl?" Rog asked.

"Well, I don't think my girl would be dumb enough to live with House in the first place." Foreman said.

"Excuse me?" Rog bellowed.

"Hell, that didn't come out right. I've noticed between those two there is some kinda bond. I don't know what that is, though." Foreman corrected himself quickly.

"I broke it off with her." Rog finally told them.

They both sat up in their seats and leaned forward. "Why did you do that, man?" Foreman asked.

"I don't know. I went to see her and the first thing she says is, 'guess what House got me.' I just lost it."

"Rog, all I can tell you is you two need to sit down and figure out what it is you both want in your relationship." Chase said seriously.

"Ah, love advice coming from Oprah? This I've _got_ to hear." House snipped as he walked into the conference room and sat in one of the chairs. "Please, continue, Oprah."

'_How in the hell does he _do_ that?'_ Chase asked himself and shook his head.

"How's Charlie, House?" Foreman asked.

"He's stabilized, but he's not quite out of the woods, yet. So, what was that love advice you were giving out? Cuz I have a problem I need someone to listen to." House said with an evil grin.

"Well, gotta go get blood." Chase said as he stood up quickly and walked out.

"What, Chase? You need help? Hold on!" Foreman yelled as he ran after Chase.

That left House and Rog in the conference room alone, staring at each other, and silent. House was playing his staring game again, but Rog didn't back down. While keeping an eye on House, Rog reached out for his bottle of Pepsi, and with the back of his hand accidentally knocked the bottle over and the drink spilled over the table and chair. Rog cursed as he ran to get paper towels and House sat back and watched him.

"Ha! I won!" House said.

"Won what, Dr. House?"

"The staring game! Uh, you missed a spot." House said as he pointed to an area that was already dry. Rog gave him a dirty look, threw the towels in the trash and sat back down.

"So, Mr. Nelson. What are your intentions with Melissa?"

"That's Dr. Mr. Nelson to you." Rog snipped back, repeating House's own words he'd used earlier. "I don't think that's any of your business, Sir."

"Oooh, I get a 'sir.' And you're right. It isn't any of my business. But since you spend time in my dwelling, it _is_ my business."

"Dr. House, Melissa is _not_ your daughter, nor your sister, nor should be any concern of yours. And you won't have to worry about me visiting your "this is my apartment for this month" again. I broke up with her." Rog said.

House raised one eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because she doesn't want me, and won't as long as she's under your roof."

"Rog, you are the only one she's seeing."

"Then why the hell are you buying her things?" Rog spat.

"Buying her...oh, the helmet. Rog, it is the law that every motorcy..."

Rog interrupted him. "A helmet? For the bike? That's what you bought her?"

"Yeah, moron. Didn't she show it to you?"

"Well, she said…I didn't...oh, hell." Rog said.

"Rog, I do care about Melissa. But I have no intention, thought or desire to date her. She's 21 for Pete's sake! I'm not a pervert." Rog played the staring game right back at House.

"Ok, ok. So, I am a perv. But my point is..."

"Your point is I am a moron." Rog said, and couldn't help but grin.

"Wow, you learn quickly." House teased back.

"Melissa is a great gir...woman. She's not as vulnerable as you think she is. She just needs someone to love her." House hesitated a moment as he realized what he just said.

"Dr. House?"

"Hmmph?"

"May I visit your lovely apartment this evening to talk with Melissa?" Rog asked.

"I'd say you'd better. But I won't be home tonight. I'm going to Cuddy's."

Rog nodded his head, stood up and walked out to go talk to Melissa about seeing her later that night. House sat back and thought about their conversation for a moment. There was one thing that he knew: Rog did care for Melissa. And House was okay with that.

He thought about the session with Dr. Parker earlier. After he'd said LizBeth's name, he got choked up and couldn't talk. It took him a few minutes to get it together and told her about his sister and the rocky relationship between her and their father. He also spoke of her suicide, in which Dr. Parker made a note in his chart. But he didn't, or couldn't, go into any further detail. Not yet. He wasn't ready. Then his mind wandered to Charlie, and he realized he hadn't checked in to see how he was doing. He reached for the phone and called Wilson on his cell phone.

"Where are you?" House asked when Wilson picked up.

"At the hospital."

"Why is everyone such a smartass today? I mean, where is Charlie now?" House said impatiently.

"He's sitting up asking where you are." Wilson answered.

"And that would be _where_? Geez!"

"We're still in the E.R." And Wilson hung up.

House shook his head but smiled that Charlie was okay and went to see him. For someone he hadn't known for long, Charlie sure had taken to House. Well, he was just going to have to put a stop to that. House slid the door open where Wilson, Sarah and Charlie were. Sure enough, Charlie was sitting up with a big smile on his face.

"Unkle Gweg! I got bit by a waps! Stupid waps!" Charlie said and showed House where it stung in on his forearm. "I have medzins...see!" Charlie said and pointed to the tape that kept the needle in place.

"Yeah, I see that. Glad you're better, dude." House said, attempting to sound like a little kid. It came out like he was drunk, but Charlie didn't know the difference. He smiled then looked at Sarah. She winked at House.

"When ya going home?" House asked Charlie.

"When you take me! Mommy said you take me riding!" House looked at him confused.

"No, sweetie, I said he'd help you ride _your_ bike." She said with a laugh.

"Mommy! Don't _call_ me that!" Charlie said sternly.

"Sorry, Bubba." She said.

House smiled, gave a high five to Charlie and walked out. And again, for the last time he hoped, sighed with relief. 'Well, ok, I'll leave Charlie alone. He is just too damn cute.' House thought to himself as he walked back to his office.

Meanwhile, back in Cuddy's office, Rog sat in the chair across from the desk Melissa sat behind. She hadn't said a word when he'd come in.

"I should have listened to you, Missy. And I apologize for what I said earlier. Can I bring dinner over to you tonight? We can talk then?" He asked.

"No. Allie and I are going to dinner. We haven't gone out in a while." She answered.

Rog nodded his head. "Can you call me when you get back, then? I'm not ready to give you up yet." He told her.

In a way, what he said was corny, but she was at least willing to hear what he had to say, even if it was over the phone. She nodded her head as Cuddy walked back in from the restroom. She didn't say a word as she walked to her desk and sat down.

"I'll call you." Melissa said as she stood up, grabbed a notepad and walked into Cuddy's office. Ok, so, Rog still had a chance.

Melissa walked into Cuddy's office, got notes on a few letters to type then she'd be going home. She'd been feeling tired lately, but when she caught her afternoon nap she felt better. Melissa changed into her jeans and checked her makeup in the ladies room then dredged upstairs to diagnostics to let Cameron know she was leaving.

"HEY, shortey!" House called from his desk when Melissa walked in. He stood up, put on his jacket and grabbed his duffle bag and cane.

"Hey, tall-ey!" She hollered back. "Allie, I'm leaving. I'll be ready at 6:00 when you come by."

"'I'll have to find something to wear and fix my hair and makeup and pick out the right shoes...OH! It just _sucks_ being a woman,

Missy!'" Chase teased, sounding like a girl, or, at least attempting to.

"You guys are sooo funny! And you don't have your rituals you go through before you go out? Like, shave your face and take a shower and powder up and put on cologne and then spend 20 minutes getting your hair part to go the right way?" Melissa shot back.

"Touché, girl!" House shot as he came through the door.

"Where did you get _that_?" Cameron asked when she saw Melissa's new helmet.

"Oh, Stevie bought it for me for babysitting him. Wasn't that sweet?" She answered.

House almost choked on his tongue then shot Melissa a look of disgust. "IT'S NOT STEVIE! IT'S STEVE MCQUEEN! Mr. McQueen to you now!" House said and walked out the door. Melissa said a quick goodbye but flashed Rog a smile before she walked out. She still watched him as she turned the corner out of sight of the conference room.

A little while later, House and Melissa were in the apartment. Melissa was really curious why House had lied to her about not being with Cuddy. But, hey, it was only fair. She'd chewed him out for him being overprotective, so she couldn't really say anything.

"Melissa, you feeling ok? You look a little pale." House asked as he threw his jacket on the couch and the helmet next to it. She eyed the jacket then gave him a dirty look. He rolled his eyes, picked up the jacket and hung it up on the coat rack by the door.

"Yeah, I've just been tired lately. I'm fine. Thanks for the ride home. See you tomorrow." She said as she headed to her bedroom.

Hours later, Melissa woke up and rolled over on the bed. The clock read 11:45. "Oh, man!" She said as she jumped out of bed and opened her bedroom door. She walked into the dark living room and passed the couch. There, asleep, was House. The light from the full moon shined on his button-down shirt with the first three buttons undone that showed a few chest hairs. And he was wearing shorts. She saw the thick, long scar on the outside of his right leg that went from his calf to mid-thigh. It didn't look too bad, but it was dark and she thought it might probably look worse.

Since he was asleep, she figured he wouldn't know that she touched it. She had to. She'd killed many a cat in her lifetime, even

though she was 21. Curiosity should have been a virtue for Melissa. She knelt on her knees on the carpet by his waist, reached her hand out and touched the scar on his calf, as slowly and as softly as she could. She felt every curve and indent in the scar. Her fingers ran over his knee, and ran over the soft, dark hairs on the outside of his thigh. He turned his head from the back of the sofa toward Melissa, and for a brief second she thought he'd woken up. But he didn't. She knelt there looking at his face: every line on his forehead, every line in the corners of his eyes, every worry line, and shape of his lips.

_'God, what am I doing?' _She thought to herself. Just then House mumbled something and Melissa quickly took her hand away from his knee.

"Wha are oo doin'?" House muttered, and she smelled the liquor on his breath, but it wasn't too overpowering.

"Nothing. I thought you called me an..."

House reached out his hand for her right hand and brought it to his chest. He ran her fingers through his chest hairs and smiled at her. She smiled back.

"We shouldn't be doin' this." She whispered, feeling something inside her she'd never felt before.

"Doing what?" He said as he sat up.

Ever so slowly he leaned in toward her, like in the movies, but she didn't pull back. She kept her eyes on his as he got closer, and she could see the faintest black line that surrounded his blue eyes. She kept her lips as still as she could but could still feel them moving, waiting for his lips. And when his lips touched hers, she closed her eyes and brushed her lips against his. And it was the best kiss she'd ever had. She felt his left arm brush against the hair on her neck, and his lips brushed her cheek, to her ear to her neck...

Melissa moaned under her breath which woke her up from her dream, and she found lips really were brushing against her cheek, her neck. Her eyes flew open and she saw Rog sitting next to her, kissing her.

"Rog..wha..." Melissa mumbled.

Rog picked his head up and looked at her. "Shhh. Just listen to me. I've been a real jerk and I can't apologize enough. But I have to be honest. I don't like you here with House, Melissa."

"Rog, I told y..." She started to say.

"I know, I know. I understand now. I'm an only child so I don't understand that sibling relationship. But I do understand one thing." He said as she sat up. "I've loved you from the moment I saw you, and since then I've fallen in love with you."

"Rog, why do you want me? I have AIDS, I can handle that. What I can't handle is falling in love with you then dying and leav..." She fought back tears and choked on her words. After a moment she continued.

"Ever since I was a little girl I wanted to have that perfect house with the fenced-in yard, two dogs in the back, three cats in the house and four kids. And I wanted to watch them grow up and be a grandmother. And then, having the man that I'd shared my life with for 50 years sitting beside me in rockers on the front porch with the grandkids playing in the front yard and looking at my husband and..." She wiped the tears from her cheek.

"That's not going to happen, I realize that now. And so yeah, I've pushed you away. And glad you broke up with me. It took the pressure off me." She told him. "But I don't want to hurt you, Rog. I wouldn't want to do that to anybody. I care about you too much. You've got a bright future ahead of you and I don't want to take that away from you if I give you AIDS."

"Melissa, don't you get it? I don't _care_ if I get it. Because the time that I've spent with you would have all been worth it. I can do more research on it. I did my medical thesis on AIDS research. And let me be the one to decide who I fall in love with, and spend as much time as I can with them, will ya?" Rog said.

Melissa looked at him and all the anxiety and stress left her. She threw her arms him and cried on his shoulder. She didn't cry because of what he told her, or how she felt about him. She cried because for once in her life, well, twice with House, someone really loved and cared about her.

"Rog, I love you, too. I really do. And thanks."

Rog pulled her away from him. "Thanks for what?"

"Just thanks." She cried as she kissed him, and realized the kiss from House was actually Rog she had been kissing, because it _was_ the best kiss she'd ever had.

Rog wrapped his arms around her and lay down with her on top of him. They kissed for a few minutes and Rog tried to roll over to lie beside her, but he got himself off balance and ended up throwing Melissa _and_ himself on the floor. His wrist got tangled in the lamp cord and the lamp crashed to the floor with the glass shade shattering in a million pieces above their heads.

Immediately there was a pounding on the door. "HEY! I will _not_ clean up the blood in there!" House said, as he'd been listening from behind the door.

"Shi...oohh...geez." Melissa said as she stood up and headed for the door. She opened it and House stood there with a sly grin on his face.

"Allie is here." He said teasingly and walked away.

"I'll be out in a minute, Allie!" She said as she closed the door behind her.

She heard Cameron answer, "Take your time, you two!" And she laughed.

Cameron sat on House's couch waiting for Melissa.

"So, what are you two doing tonight?" House asked Cameron.

She looked at him puzzled because he knew why she was there - dinner. "I'm taking Missy to a strip club down on 5th. She said she's always wanted to go to one."

House raised an eyebrow. "OH! I wanna come! Can I come!"

"House, it's a _male_ strip club." She told him.

"Oh. Well, I can dance! I'm sexy!"

Cameron rolled her eyes and shook her head. "House, the women there aren't blind." She teased.

"Ouch! That hurt. Fine. Guess I'll have to go to a 'title' bar by my...hey, wait! So, what's Chase doing? Can he come with me, Mommy, please?"

"Sure! It'll keep him off me for a change." Cameron said.

House was taken aback and didn't know what to say. Melissa bounced into the room with Rog behind her.

"I'm ready." She said.

"Have fun at the strip club and don't dance with the men after the show!" House said as the gang walked out the door. Both Rog and Melissa turned around and looked at House confused.

"Never mind, I'll explain in a sec." Cameron said as the door closed behind them.

House stood in the living room of his quiet apartment, wondering what he was going to do now. He wanted to call Cuddy, but his pride got in the way. He wanted to call Stacy, but knew that would never happen. He wanted to call Ginger but figured she was already booked, 'that tramp!' So, he lay on the couch with a glass of Scotch and the t.v. remote in his hand. Alone. Again. Naturally.

That same night, Cuddy sat alone in her house thinking about House. Things were going so smoothly between them and she

wasn't ready to give him up. But, she couldn't risk it. The person she really wanted to talk to was House. She just had to. She figured he'd be at home, especially since Melissa said he was coming home late. And she knew Melissa and Cameron were going out to dinner, so she'd be able to talk to him.

She sighed, picked up the phone and dialed House's number. The phone rang twice and the answering machine picked up but pressed the hang up button real quick because she hadn't thought of a message to leave. She held the phone in her hand then placed it back in the cradle. A second later, it rang. She hesitated picking it up but finally did.

"Hello?" She said.

"What do you want?" A male voice asked.

"Uh, you called me." She answered.

"But you called me first." He said.

"HOUSE!" Cuddy said a little loudly, then she heard him laugh. "What do you want?" She asked.

"I dunno. What did _you_ want?" He asked.

"House, ok, you win, again! I just wanted to know what you were doing."

"What do you _want_ to be doing?" He asked.

Cuddy looked at the phone then hung up on House, but she had a grin on her face. She knew he'd call her back. 15 minutes went by, then 30. 45 minutes. He still hadn't called her back and she lied on the couch, slowly getting drowsy when there was a knock on her door. She slowly stood up and hollered through the door, "Who is it?"

"I don't know. Who are you?" A male answered. Cuddy shook her head, unlocked and opened the door for House, who stood there with a grin on his face and a bottle of Scotch. She stepped aside to let him in without saying a word.

"What _did _you want?" House asked seriously as he sat on the couch. She grabbed two glasses, put in some ice then walked into the living room and handed him a glass. He poured them each a drink and handed the glass to Cuddy, who sat down next to him with her leg under the other.

"I was just bored." She finally said.

"And you couldn't tell me that over the phone?" He asked then took a sip from the glass.

"House, what's been going on with you, lately?" She finally spit out.

"I've been wondering the same about you." He shot back, as was his normal defensive move. "I mean, we're all lovey dovey one minute and you break it off the next? That's something I would do, but not you."

"Greg, I just don't think I can deal with things right now."

"What do you mean 'with things?' What's going on?"

Cuddy took a deep breath and told House the whole story. She'd also finished at least half the bottle by the time she was finished, putting even House to shame. Her speech was fairly understandable, but her eyes had grown weary and dazed.

"Lisa, do you really think he'll come after you?"

"I hope not. I got a call from Matthew St. George, my attorney in the case, who left a message but I haven't called him back. I just figured he'd gotten out."

"Were there other women who accused him of rape, too?" He asked.

"Yeah, there were three of us, which were enough for a guilty verdict."

"Is there anything the cops can do?"

"No, Greg. Nothing."

"Is that what Thomas was looking for? Something about the case? You know, the day he wrecked this place." House asked.

Cuddy nodded her head. House asked, "Why would he be looking for anything on the case? And why would you _have_ anything on the case?"

Cuddy shook her head. "Do you really think that matters to me, Lisa? I cared about you once. It doesn't matter to me. But I understand now." House told her.

"House?"

"Cuddy?"

"What have you been up to? In your spare time."

"Oh, the usual. Playing my piano, killing Purple Onion Monsters, playing with Steve. You know, I've been thinking of getting him a girlfriend."

"Oh, really? What would you name her?"

"Mae West." Cuddy laughed and shook her head. "I guess I should have said _where_ have you been? At night?"

His eyes narrowed at stared at her. "Out." He simply said.

"Is there something bothering you?"

"No, not at all." House lied. "Hey, how many fingers am I holding up?" House asked, holding up three.

Cuddy said, "Seven."

"Hmmm. Close, but it's twenty six. I think you need to get to bed. You finished all my liquor, anyway." House said as he stood up.

"Oh, I'm sure you have more at your place." She answered.

"Goodnight, Cuddy. And thanks for telling me." House said, leaned in and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Yeah, thanks for telling me, too." Cuddy said sarcastically as they headed to the door.

House rode his bike home but took the long way. When he walked into his apartment, Cameron and Melissa were sitting on the couch giggling like little teenaged girls. House rolled his eyes and hung his jacket up on the coat rack. When it fell, he didn't bother picking it up and replacing it.

"How were the studs, girls?" House asked.

They looked at each other and giggled again. "It was sooo fun!" Melissa squealed. "There was one guy that I swear looked like Mel Gibson! Well, when he was younger."

"Ok, you know what? I've been drinking and I feel kinda sick, well, sickerer after listening to you two. So before you two get out Barbie and her Dreamboat, I think I'm going to bed." House said as he headed to his bedroom.

"I hope things work out for you and Rog, Melissa. I really do." Cameron said to Melissa after his door closed.

"Yeah, I hope so, too. I really care about him, but I'm just scared, you know? But I'm glad we talked." Melissa answered.

"Well, I have to get up early tomorrow. I'll see you then." Cameron said as she headed to the door.

"Thanks for dinner, and listening. I appreciate your advice." Melissa said as she gave Cameron a hug.

"Oh, god! Don't let House see us hug!" Cameron said with a laugh.

"Too late. Please, continue ladies." House said as he walked into the kitchen and stood at the opening between the two rooms.

"Mr. Landlord, sir, Doc, please, shut _up_!" Melissa said with a wink and a laugh. Cameron walked out the door and Melissa went back into the living room.

"So, where did you go tonight?" Melissa asked as she sat on the couch.

"Chase and I went to the title bar on Elm. Man! You missed it! There was this girl there that had the most beau..." House started to say as he sat down.

"Oh, believe me, I didn't miss anything." She said. "Seriously, where were you?"

"I told you!"

"No, you lied. Chase called Cameron while we were eating dinner." Melissa lied. She knew Cameron was twisting his leg when she said they were going there, and she knew House didn't go.

"I was over at Cuddy's." He answered honestly.

"Uh, you weren't there, either. And you haven't been there all week, either." Melissa said.

"Yes, I was. Wanna call her?"

"No. I'm just wondering what's going on with you. You know I'm a worrier." She said.

"Well, you don't have to worry about me." He told her.

"Well, someone has to!"

"No, they don't. I'm all grown up. Besides, I have Steve here."

"Uh, okay. Sorry I asked. I am so tired of playing games with you. And I'm sorry I care." She said as she stood up and went to her bedroom, making sure the slam the door closed.

House sat in the living room staring at her door. _'Damnit.' _He thought to himself.


	9. Chapter 9

And now...on with the wedding!

**CHAPTER NINE**

Five months later, on October 15th, Melissa walked down the isle toward Rog in a small historic chapel just outside Bath, England. There were only ten pews on either side of the isle, with lavender leaves garnishing the ends with deep purple ribbon, simple white flowers behind the Reverend, and beautiful, soft Celtic music being played in the background. The violins and strings made the whole event so surreal to the two, as both Melissa and Rog loved everything British. Nothing more could have been done to make the wedding any more spectacular than it was now.

Melissa wore a long sleeved, V-neck, deep blue Renaissance style dress, with the front detailed with flowers and leaves, and flowers adorning the back of the dress. For her hair piece she wore a flowered 'circle' with lavender and white flowers, with navy blue and white ribbon streaming down the back. Rog wore a white shirt under a deep blue tux jacket, with a plaid skirt patterned in the colors of his English ancestry, which, thankfully, were purple, white and green.

As Melissa walked down the isle toward Rog, she looked at her Maid of Honor, Cameron, who looked beautiful in the pale

lavender dress with flower head piece as well. Standing next to Rog was Chase, his best man. They had grown close over the past few months because the two couples went out quite often for dinners and dancing. Then, as she approached the pews where her quests were standing, she made sure she winked at Sarah, Charlie and Wilson, Foreman and his new (good) girlfriend, Nancy, and Cuddy, who were all also beautifully decked out. She had never seen them in formal wear and they were sharp looking.

The person on her arm, who was giving her away, was a man she'd grown to admire and respect and love, even though not too many people did. He actually shaved for the occasion, even though he moaned and groaned when Melissa asked him to. But he had to leave a little stubble, just to prove his was still that rebellious boy he always was, and always would be. His dark blue tux only accentuated his blue eyes, and Melissa had to tear her eyes away from his when she first saw him. His eyes simply mesmerized her.

When they reached the Reverend, House turned to Melissa with a sad expression on his face, then smiled at her genuinely. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, she kissed him back then he stood next to Chase. She watched him walk away, and noticed there was a deep purple ribbon he'd placed at the crook of the cane. She smiled and it hit her all at once how much he did care about her.

"Lovvved wans, we ah he-ah toda-ah to wetness thu marriage ov Melissa Jean Fitzhugh ahnd Roger Philip Nelson in holey matrahmoney. Thay wish to thonk those thot mayed thu lawng trip to ba aht this special day-ah..." The Reverend said a few more words in his British accent.

"Ahnd now, well the ring bare-ah ple-ahs come hith-ah." The Reverend said.

Sarah and little Charlie stood at the back of the church with Charlie holding a deep purple, wool pillow with the rings on top. The tux Sarah picked out for him made him look like a grown-up midget, and the cutest little thing Melissa had ever seen. Sarah had to give him a little push to let him know it was time to walk down the isle. He pulled his shoulders back, stuck his chin up in the air and walked down the isle...in two seconds flat. The little tyke was so nervous he wasn't paying attention to how fast he was walking. Echoes of laughter filled the church.

"Melissa Jean, well you ple-ahs tayke yor rang..." Melissa did.

"Roger Philip, well you ple-ahs tayke yor rang." Roger did so, as he winked at Charlie. Charlie put on a huge smile then walked straight to 'Uncle Gweg' and plopped right down by his feet, Indian style, with his elbows on his knees and his chin in his hands, ready to watch the rest of the 'show.'

"Behfor weigh proce-ahd, I-ah most ahsk eff they-ah is enywon out the-arh thot weshes to object tu thus union." The Reverend asked.

Melissa had been calm and excited during the whole ceremony, and when the Reverend spoke those words, she never flinched, or dreamed anyone would object. Everyone had been supportive of the marriage, and the flight 3,000 miles away to a foreign country.

The church was silent for a brief moment. As Melissa and Rog stood there ready for the next part, a male voice echoed throughout the church. Both Melissa and Rog turned their heads to the man that did object.

Charlie jumped at the voice that belted out of the man that stood behind him. He started crying and ran to Sarah's arms. Sarah wanted to smile, but was in shock at the "I object" that came out of House's mouth.

Actually, every eye in that church was now on House, and he felt the burn of the fireballs being thrown at him.

"Melissa, may I speak to you for a moment?" House asked, standing there with his face and neck beet red and his whole body tense. She just stared at him dumbfounded.

"Please, just give me a minute." He said as he looked at Rog for the first time. Rog still hadn't completely warmed up to House, but now, five months later, all that had been taken away.

Melissa looked at Rog, who nodded his head. She looked at House, handed the bouquet to Cameron then turned and walked down the isle. She had never been so humiliated, embarrassed and totally ashamed to look at her guests, who had spent so much money for the trip. She pushed open the door, walked through and stood by the entrance door. A second later House limped through with a look on his face she'd never seen.

"What the hell is your problem?" Melissa screamed.

"Missy, please, just listen to me."

"'Missy?' Don't Missy me, Greg! God, I can't believe this. You're miserable, so you just have to make everyone _else_?" House's face changed immediately into defensive mode.

"Look, I'm not so miserable I cry myself to sleep at night! I've heard you! And I'm not so miserable that I marry a woman who I don't really love."

Melissa narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play stupid with me!" House yelled back.

Wilson stuck his head through the door. "Is everything ok out here?"

"Yes!" Melissa said and started to walk toward Wilson.

"NO!" House said.

He grabbed her by the elbow to make her stop but she yanked her elbow away, turned and stormed out of the church. The warm fall sun hit her face as she walked down the walkway, the sound of fallen leaves from centuries old trees around the church crumpling under her feet. She was breathing heavy and was started to hyperventilate. She crossed over into the grass and kept on walking, trying to escape.

She'd heard footsteps behind her, hoping it was Cameron, or Cuddy, anyone other than House. But she couldn't hide the identity with one solid 'crunch' of a foot and a crinkly 'thud.' She knew it was him. She stomped her feet harder and faster with each step but felt a hard, solid hand on her shoulder. She jerked it away and started to run.

"Damnit, Melissa! Hold up!" House screamed.

She took a couple more steps then stopped as she reached a bench in a little garden in the corner of the church grounds. Tears started to come to her eyes, even though she tried her hardest not to cry. She held onto the back of the bench with her back to him so tightly her knuckles started to turn white. House got a firm grip on her shoulders and turned her around hard. Tears rolled down her cheeks, smearing her makeup. He could feel her whole body shake.

"Wh...why...doin...this, Greg? I don...rstand." She said, trying to catch her breath, but she didn't look at him.

"I couldn't tell you before. You were so happy and excited...I was wrong for that. But I can't let you go through with this."

She wiped her cheeks and put her hands on the back of the bench and looked directly in his eyes.

"And why not?" She asked defiantly.

"Because, I think you know why." He answered.

"Gawd! Would you _stop_ play..." She started to say.

House didn't let her finish because he had pulled her close to him, put his left arm around her waist and kissed her. Really _kissed_ her. Deeply, passionately, with more meaning and feeling than he'd ever kissed Stacy. And Melissa didn't pull back; didn't resist his kiss. She put her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

She had her eyes closed but she did feel his body be pulled away from hers, and when she opened them she saw Rog standing two feet from House, his hand in a fist. He had it pulled back and before Melissa could react Rog swung for House's chin. His head went flying to the right as he lost his balance and fell on the grass.

"Rog!" Melissa said as she looked at him then looked down at House, who was just sitting up holding his chin.

"Greg! Are you ok?" She said as she knelt down and put her hand on his chin. There was a little cut but it wasn't bad at all. Melissa turned and glared at Rog.

"Why the _hell_ did you do that, Rog?" She demanded.

Then she noticed everyone was standing off at a distance being held back by Cuddy. Wilson was holding Charlie in his arms because he'd started to cry when he saw his Uncle Greg get punched. Sarah grabbed him and walked to the back of the church to keep him from seeing what was going on. House slowly stood up and Melissa helped him.

"You..." Rog said as he looked at House. "You..." He said as he looked at Melissa. "I _knew_ you two were up to something, but I couldn't, or wouldn't, believe it. God, how could you do this, Melissa?"

"Rog, lis..." Melissa started to say.

"NO! I won't! You had everyone fly over here, spend a _lot_ of money to humiliate me!" Rog calmed down a little bit and ran his hand through his hair. "I'm going back to the inn. I'm packing and flying home tomorrow." He said as he started to walk away.

"Rog, I know this was wrong, but _wait_!" She called out to him. She glanced at House who said, "Go."

And she started off after Rog. She saw Chase walk toward them but she waved him off and gave the 'wait a second' gesture with her finger. She followed him until they were far enough from the church, and ears of their friends, to talk to him. Or, more like so no one could hear what Rog screamed. Rog stopped at the rental car and reached for the door handle. She reached her hand out to stop him. With her right hand she put her hand on his cheek and moved his face toward hers.

"Rog, it's not what you think. Can't we talk about this?" She pleaded.

"Apparently, after _that_ kiss, there's nothing to talk about." He shot back.

"I know it's weird, but he's right."

"What do you _mean_ he's right? Right about what?" He demanded.

"Rog, I do love you, but I'm not in love with you. I tried to NOT love Greg, but...God. You can't help who you fall in love with."

"Then why all this? This whole charade? Just to prove to yourself you _didn't_ love him?"

"It wasn't like that. We never even talked about going out as 'a couple.' We were just close, as close as any man and woman can be without having sex." She said.

"Oh, correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that was you and I?" He said.

Melissa sighed. "Rog, I am sorry about this."

"Damn straight! You should be. I hope you two are happy together. Hey, wait, the Reverend is still free! Why don't _you_ two get married now! It's what you want, isn't it?" He said, then grabbed for the door again, got in and burned rubber out of the parking lot.

She just stood there shocked. Cameron came up behind her and put her arm around Melissa.

"God, I didn't mean for this to happen. Why didn't you ever say anything, Allie?" She said as she buried her face in Cameron's shoulder and started crying hard.

"What? Tell you you were in love with someone else when you were so happy with Rog? I wasn't going to." Cameron told her.

House came up behind them and patted Melissa on the shoulder. Cameron pushed Melissa away from her to House and suggested everyone go back to the inn.

"Oh, Allie, I can't fa...ce him there! I just can't!" She cried as she looked at House. "And the Rever..." She started to say.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." House offered.

"No, you won't." Cuddy said as she approached them. "I will. House, you, Chase, Cameron and Melissa go on back to the inn. I'll take care of everything here, ok?"

"Lisa, I can't let you do that." Melissa protested.

"Oh, yes you can." House said as he put his hand on Melissa's back and escorted her to the car he drove.

Chase and Cameron sat in the back seat, and, on empty stomachs with House driving, they both looked at each other in shock at the shade of green they both were turning. They knew there was a reason House drove alone, and why they drove in Wilson's mini-van. House was a dangerous driver in the States, much less another country.

Melissa sat in the front with her head on the head rest and her eyes closed, with House's hand on her right knee. He drove in silence back to the inn. When they pulled into the parking lot, they saw Rog's car with 'just married' on the back window. Melissa's stomach dropped when she saw it, and Cameron whispered to Chase it might be a good idea to clean that off, which he nodded in agreement.

"Missy, you and House go on in. We have a few things to take care of." Chase said.

House held Melissa's hand as they walked to the entrance of the inn. She dreaded running into him, and she felt safe with House next to her. _'Safe? What am I afraid of? I can't blame him, though.' _She thought to herself as they headed to the stairs.

"Oh! Uh...wa...oh. The groom...er, Rawg said don't wait up fo him." Mrs. Stone said, the owner of the inn. House nodded and Melissa said thanks. "Would you oll ly-ack lunch?" Mrs. Stone asked.

"No, thank you. That's kind but we don't want to put you through the trouble." Melissa said as she turned to look at her.

Mrs. Stone frowned at seeing Melissa's eyes red and swollen. "Noh problem a'all. Eye'm mah-king sumthing fo' school. It'll bah reddy in an hou', ok?"

"Thank you. That would be nice." House said as they walked up the stairs.

Melissa tried putting the key in the bedroom door but couldn't get it in, so House grabbed it, unlocked it and opened the door for Melissa to walk through.

"You know, this isn't the way I thought I'd be walking through this door, Greg." Melissa said solemnly. She walked to the bed and sat down. He stood and stared at her, but she couldn't look at him. She didn't know what to say.

"Melissa, tell me I'm wrong." House said as he sat down next to her. She looked at him confused, but then it dawned on her what he meant.

"Tell me I'm wrong about how you feel about me, and I'll never mention it again." He said.

"I guess I didn't want to."

"Didn't want to what?" He asked.

"I didn't want to admit to myself I was starting to feel differently about you. I mean, you're twice my age and we work in the same hospital and you have the baby with your ex and it would be too difficult."

"Hunny, age has nothing to do with it. And who cares what anyone thinks about us at work? It sounds like you're building excuses to me."

"I do care what others think! You're Rog's boss, for Pete's sake!" She said as she stood up and walked to the window. "His boss objected at his wedding and stole his fiancé? Oh, that's priceless, Greg."

"So, what do I do? Fire Rog?" House asked.

"NO! Don't you dare! This isn't going to be easy, on anyone. I can get a job somewhere else, but you two. Damnit."

House stood up and stood behind Melissa. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, smelling her hair and perfume. She closed her eyes as she threw her head back and with her right arm reached up for the back of his neck and kissed him. For once, she really did feel safe, and loved. But she couldn't do this, shouldn't be doing this. Not now. Not here.

"Gre...Greg." Melissa said after she tore her lips away from his. "I'm really beat, and I wouldn't mind closing my eyes before lunch. Do you mind?"

"No, I don't mind. I need to close my eyes, too. Do you want the left or right side of the bed?" House asked, brushing his nose against the back of her neck, which sent chills down her spine. She found herself leaning into him and immediately pulled away.

She turned around and looked him in the eyes. "I can't do this. Not here. Go to your own room." She said.

"Melissa, I wasn't implying we have sex." He said, but there was no truth in that statement.

"No, not while Rog is here. I hurt him already. I'm not doing it again by sharing a room with the man that stopped his wedding."

"We're all grown ups, here, Melissa."

"I don't care, Greg. Please. Try to understand."

House sighed and kissed her on the cheek. "Honestly, after I walked you down the isle, it killed me to give you away. I wanted you all to myself. I had no idea I was going to do what I did."

"I believe you, babe." She whispered. House took her hand to take her to the bed. He pulled the covers down and she got under the top sheet. He bent down and kissed her, and she kissed him back.

"I'll come get you when lunch is ready." He said. She grumbled 'ok' and closed her eyes. House stood at the side of the bed and stared at her for a quick second, then walked out the door quietly. But she didn't sleep.

She got out of bed, took off her 'wedding dress', threw it on the chair and crawled back into bed. She thought of Stacy when she came to visit with the baby, Charnie, back in July. House told her he was going to Wilson's, but she found out later that same day, from House, that he actually went to meet Stacy and Charnie.

FLASHBACK TO HOUSE'S LIVING ROOM WHEN HE CAME BACK

House walks into the apartment and it seems to Melissa that he aged ten years.

"What happened to you, Doc? Did you and Wilson have a fight?" She asks. He doesn't answer but goes to the liquor cabinet, pours a glass half full of Scotch and drinks it all in one swallow.

"Greg, what's wrong? What happened?" Melissa asks, sitting on the edge of the couch and stares at him.

He stands with his back to her for a moment then turns around and stares at her. He contemplates whether he should tell her. Maybe Dr. Parker was right. Maybe he _should_ open up to Melissa.

"Missy..." He starts to say, and she frowns at him because he rarely, if ever, calls her Missy.

"You know I told you I'm a father back in May, right?" She nods her head. "Stacy, my ex, you know about her. I was with her one night. And she got pregnant. I didn't plan it, it just happened." Melissa looks at him like she doesn't believe the last sentence, which is smart on her part.

"She wasn't going to tell her husband, and she didn't. But Mark died from complications from his prior condition a month after she had the baby and she thought it was okay to bring me my little girl."

She shakes her head in amazement. "'_Bring you Charnie?' _And she looked so much like Mark he believed she was his?"

"Well, no, because the little squirt's eyes changed from brown to my blue a week before he got sick. He never confronted her with it, but the stress of knowing caused further complications."

"Greg, that sounds like something from the Young and the Restless. That's hard to believe."

"Yeah, who you tellin'?" He says.

"And Stacy wants to get back with you?" (Which was her second clue her feelings started to change toward him; she was actually jealous and worried she wanted him back. Her first clue being the dream she had where she kissed him while he slept on the couch.)

House nods his head. "She mentioned it, but thank God I've had counseling with Dr. Parker, because I would have caved. I almost did. But I didn't."

Melissa sighs with relief. "Wow, I don't know what to say."

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

Melissa lay in bed a few minutes and she heard Charlie's giggles downstairs. She looked at the clock and only 30 minutes had passed. Melissa sat up in bed, walked to the ensuite bathroom and fixed up her face. She looked like she aged ten years herself. And for a 21 year-old, that's pretty sad. She changed into slacks and a blouse then headed downstairs.

In the living room Sarah, Wilson and Charlie were coloring in his book. Wilson kept coloring outside the lines and Charlie would fuss at him.

"Stay in 'bteen lines, Daddy! Here, wet me sho' you!" Then he'd grab the crayon from Wilson and start to color.

"Hi, Melissa. Did you sleep well?" Sarah asked.

Charlie looked up at Melissa in the doorway. "Mewissa! Wanna cowoh wif us?" He asked excitedly.

"I'd love to, Buddy, but maybe later, ok?" She told him as nicely as she could, which was an apparent failed attempt to do so. Charlie looked at his Dad.

"There's coffee on the dining room table. That'll wake you right up." Wilson told her.

"Where is everybody?" Melissa asked as she walked through the living to the adjoining room.

"Mrs. Stone told us Rog was at the Flying Sheep Pub right down the street. Everyone but House went. He's upstairs sleeping." Melissa nodded her head.

As she was pouring her coffee she looked out through the breakfast room window at the backyard and saw a swinging bench right next to the garden that was big enough for four people. She took her cup and stuck her head in the kitchen, where she'd heard Mrs. Stone cooking. She asked if she could go in the back and Mrs. Stone said, "by ull means! Of cause."

So she opened the sliding glass door and went to the bench. The mid-Fall air was crisp and cool, with the smell of dying leaves and mulch surrounding her. The smell of the annuals soothed her as she sat down and started to swing. Almost right away her stress seemed to ease up a bit as the hot coffee warmed her from the chill around her.

A few minutes later, she heard laughter coming from the front of the house, and assumed it was the gang. Immediately her stomach churned at the thought of seeing Rog again, especially after what just happened. She just prayed Rog wouldn't come in the back. _'Ok, now, that's real mature.' _She thought to herself. She closed her eyes and tried to pretend she was somewhere else, _anywhere_ else but here, with the man she dumped and the other man she was madly in love with.

"Is this seat taken?" She heard a voice a few minutes later. It startled her and the coffee mug she'd been holding got knocked over and a little bit of coffee landed on her knee.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you." Rog said as he stood over her.

"No, sit, please, Rog." She said as she patted her knee.

"Melissa, I am so sorry for the way I acted an..." He started to say.

"Rog, you have nothing to apologize for. It was my fault. I didn't mean to hurt you. Please know that."

"Missy, don't. I've just had an hour lecture from some wise people for their ages and I saw it too. I don't know why I didn't say anything. I should have."

"Rog, will it be a problem working with Gre...I mean House?" She asked.

He turned to look at her. "No, not at all. He's still going to be a pain in the ass, girl!" He said with a smile.

She couldn't help but laugh, but then stopped and reached into her pocket. She pulled out her engagement ring.

"Here. This is yours."

"Oh, no. You keep it."

"No, Rog. Save it for someone you love, and who loves you back." She said sweetly, and sincerely. He looked at her like he was heartbroken, then his face softened and he took the ring.

"You are an amazing woman, you know that?" He said as he stood up and reached out for her hand.

"And you, Roger Philip Nelson, are an amazing man." She said as she reached out for a hug.

"Mrs. Stone said lunch is ready. Come on. I want to throw some ice at House to wake him up." He said laughing.

"Uh, make sure you have time to run from him." She said as they walked to the door.

"Oh, please. The man's a cripple. He can't catch me." He laughed as he slid the screen door open, which came off its hinges and came down on him. Melissa thought quick and grabbed the corner of it and propped it back up. Then she burst out laughing.

"I'm not going to be the one to tell her you broke her door, Rog!" She said as she slid open the glass door.

"Hey! You're 3,000 miles from home and you _still_ break something! Way to go!" House said as he walked into the dining room.

Rog shook his head then grinned, and everyone laughed as they walked to the table and sat down.

"Oh! Thot is my fawt! I should 'ef tald you thot was broken." Mrs. Stone said as she brought in a Shepard's Pie and bread for everyone.

And the gang at Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital sat down to eat, in Bath, England, a traditional English meal like they were family, again, like they did when they ate at the cabin, one big happy family.

"Well, I-um awf to thu banquette. Jost le-have thu playtes awn thu table. Isle clean up whan I get bock." Mrs. Stone said as she walked out though the living room.

"Hey, Eric, did you think that was a smart idea for us to get married back at the church?" Nancy asked as she looked at Foreman. He had just put a forkful of food in his mouth and almost choked on it. He tried chewing faster and looked around at the group, who all had their mouths open baring down him.

"Uh, Nance…" Foreman started to say.

"Oh! You guys are soo easy!" She said as she laughed.

Unfortunately for her, no one else did, and a piece of bread went flying across the table and hit her on the cheek. Charlie thought it was hysterical, so he grabbed a fistful of grilled cheese sandwich ('chepart's pie? I done like da gween and owange stuff.' He

whined so Mrs. Stone made him the sandwich.) and aimed at Nancy, too. Luckily it landed on her blouse and everyone laughed.

"Gregory William House! I will _not_ allow you to teach my son bad table manners! How could you?" Sarah hollered with a serious expression on her face. She picked up the fork, put a pea on the end, aimed it at House and in one swift movement pulled it back and let go. It flew across the table beautifully and hit him right on the end of the nose. Again, a roar of laughter bellowed out, but not from House.

"James Charles Wilson! I will not allow you teach your baby's mommy bad table manners! How could you?" House repeated, sounding the best he could like a girl, quickly grabbed a carrot and threw it at Wilson.

The next thing everyone knew carrots, green beans, bits of meat and bread were being thrown around the table. Chase grabbed a handful and smeared it into Cameron's face, who in turn threw a handful at Foreman, who threw a handful at House (just because he needed to), and everyone else threw handfuls at everyone else. There was laughter and screaming and loud giggles from Charlie, who innocently enough was spared the majority of the onslaught of flying food.

By the time Cuddy got a face and mouthful of peas, there was no more food to be thrown around. Their laughter subsided and Charlie clapped his hands. "Mo! Mo! Dat was fuun!" Sarah looked at Charlie, then down at her clothes. She looked up at Wilson. "Oh, my God! What have we done!" She asked.

She looked around the breakfast room. There was food splattered on the glass windows, curtains, walls, everything, including the faces, hair and clothes on the gang. But luckily there was no furniture in the room other than the table which was covered.

"We need to get this cleaned up!" Cuddy said.

"Hey, that's why we pay for the room!" House said but everyone ignored him.

"I have got to get Charlie in the tub! Thank goodness it's time for his nap." Sarah said as she undid the high chair and pulled him out. "Say goodnight to everyone, Charlie." Sarah said as she walked toward the living room.

"Goonye evieboddy!" Charlie called.

"Melissa, Chase, you two take a shower. Cameron, can you find a bucket and mop? Foreman and Nancy, look for paper tow…" Cuddy started to bark orders.

"Uh, Ms. Cuddy? I don't think it's a good idea if Melissa and Chase take a shower together. And may I just mention that outside the office, you are not their boss?" House told her.

Cuddy grabbed a few bowls but stopped cold. "House, go in the living room." She told him.

"Yes, boss." House said, and immediately walked into the living room, propped his feet on the ottoman and flipped through a magazine.

An hour later, while the gang took turns taking showers cleaning themselves up, they had the breakfast room cleaned up as well. They all sat down in the living room, exhausted, except for Sarah and Wilson who stayed upstairs with Charlie.

"Think she'll notice the peas on the curtains?" House asked.

"House, SHUT UP!" They all said in unison.

"Hey! Who wants to go see the Roman Baths? I'll drive." House offered. Foreman and Chase shook their heads while Cameron smiled.

"I'm beat, but why don't you two go?" Cameron said as she looked at both House and Melissa. Melissa looked over at House with a 'can we?' look on her face. He grinned at her and started to stand up.

"But I'm driving!" Melissa shouted as they walked out of the room. "You're worse in a vehicle than you are on your bike!"

"No, you're not driving!" House said.

"I AM too!"

"You are NOT!" House screamed as the door closed behind them.

"Yes, I am because I have the _key_!" She said as she shook the key in his face. He was quicker than she thought and he swiftly grabbed the key and put it down the front of his pants then grinned at her evilly.

"Come and get it now, little girl." House said.

"Greg, you are warped, completely warped. You need serious help." She told him as she walked to the passenger side of the car.

"Oh, I need more help than you can ever imagine." House said with a smirk as he closed the door and started the engine. She put her seat belt on, sat back and gave House a smile.

They pulled out of the driveway and turned to head into the ancient village. The mild, rolling hills of the area around Bath were just like any other mountain route, but when they turned a corner there, ahead of them, was a cosmopolitan like neither of them had ever seen. They could see roof tops in semi-circles in a huge, deep valley, yet the valley didn't seem that distant. Up ahead there was a pull-off to view the city. She asked him if they could pull over, but he was already pulling into the gravel car park. They walked toward the 4-foot high brick wall that overlooked the village.

"Greg, can you imagine what it must have been like here 2,000 years ago? I don't see where much could have changed." She said

as they stood next to each other with their arms around the other's waist. "It's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen in my life."

House turned to look to look at her. "But it's not the most beautiful thing I've seen." He said, trying to be sexy.

"Oh, that's the best line you can come up with? Wow, I'm sending you to 'How to Be Sexy 101' when we get back." She said with a laugh.

She stood on her tip toes, threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. It felt right to be in his arms. But she still had to watch herself. She didn't want to get herself all worked up.

"Ok, ok." She said as she tore herself away from him. "Let's get down there."

House and Melissa spent about an hour walking through the village, which included the tour of the Roman Baths built under the city millennium ago. They stood on street level, and on all four sides anyone could look down with a perfect view of the bath, which was green from all the minerals in the water; its steaming spray of mist rising up to street level to the statues that stood on all four corners; and the odor of something neither had smelled before assault their noses.

Melissa grabbed House and pulled him to the bath tour. They walked among the ruins, stones bigger than she'd ever seen them before and the areas of excavation that were still going on. They stood at the same level as the bath and heard the tour guide tell them of the history of the baths…

From their foundations 2,000 years earlier by the Romans; the many levels of streets built up over the bath area; stories of woman (and some men) getting their underarms plucked one by one at the bath as they soaked and gossiped with their neighbor. While the bath was indeed a general cleansing area, it was also for beautification of the local residents.

Just after the sun fell below the barren tree tops over the hillside, Melissa and House left the village to head back to the Inn. It had been a long day for the both of them, and they didn't know if the time alone or the steam from the bath made them instantly drained of the little bit of energy they had left. As he drove up the street where the Inn was, she leaned over and kissed his cheek.

"Hmmm! You taste like carrots. Yummy." She teased.

"Oh, uh. You know? I can't even think of a comeback for that." He said as he pulled into the driveway and turned the engine off.

"Hey, there's a spot I want to take you." She said as she opened her door and ran to the end of the driveway.

"Woman! What are you doing?" He called after her.

"Just come here. I want to take you somewhere." She said as she walked toward him with her hand stretched out.

"Melissa, I'm tired and my leg really is hurting."

"I know, and I'm sorry, but this will be worth it, I promise you." She said as she pulled him down the sidewalk just a couple of houses. She headed toward some trees where a little path had been laid from eons of people taking the same path.

"Wow, kinky! I like that!" He said. She squeezed his hand real tight, tight enough to make him smirk but not cry out.

"Ok, now, close your eyes." She said after they'd taken just a few steps.

"Uh, no."

"Ok, 'Trust 101' class starts now, dude. Close those blue peepers of yours!" She demanded.

"You know, that 101 class stuff is getting really irritating." House said as he shut his eyes.

"It's ok. When we get back I'll sign you up for 'Patience 101' class. Now be quiet. Ok, here we go." Melissa said as she turned him around gently. "Open 'em." She said.

Laid out in front of him was a valley of mossy green fields shaded from the setting sun. There was a light mist over the fields where sheep were grazing and he could hear the distant 'bahhahass' from them. He looked to his right, then his left.

"Ok, what am I supposed to be looking at?" He asked teasingly.

"Angelina Jolie is out there." She shot back. "But just LOOK at it, Greg! Isn't it amazing?" She said.

"Yeah, it is, if you like that sort of thing."

She smacked his arm hard enough to make her hand sting. "Dang, woman! That hurt!" He said as he rubbed his arm.

"You have no romantic bone in your body, do you?" She asked.

"Yes, I do. I have _one_" He said sarcastically.

She smacked him again. "OW! Would you knock it off!" House said loudly. Then he grabbed her by the neck and pulled her close to him playfully.

"It's only beautiful because you're here with me." He said.

"Ok, that's better. See, you are a quick learner!" She told him smiling at him. Then she sat down on a boulder from the hillside. "Come sit with me." She softly whispered.

He looked down at her and smiled a genuine, warm smile. He laid the cane on the side of the boulder and sat down next to her, in obvious pain. He leaned his body toward hers until his shoulder was touching hers and he looked out over the fields. She laid her head on his shoulder and moved closer to him for warmth.

"Greg, can we take it slow?" She asked him softly, as if she weren't comfortable with the question.

He turned to look at her. "Take what slow?"

"Us."

"Oh. Well, I'm not as young as I used to be and I might keel over with a heart attack tomorrow so I don't want to take it _that_ slow."

Melissa shook her head. "Greg, I'm taking about making love. Rog gave me some AIDS research papers and I read up on them bu…"

"Would you stop worrying? I _am_ a doctor" He said trying to reassure her.

"Yeah, well, you know me. I wouldn't be happy if I had nothing to worry about." She told him.

"Come on, I'm cold and my butt is getting numb." He said as he stood up. She smiled at him.

"You know, I can't even think of a comeback for that." She teased him as she stood on the small boulder, making her the same height as he. He leaned into her, and she into him with their arms locked around the others'. She put her hand on his cheek and looked him deeply, affectionately, lovingly.

"I'll have patience with you if you have patience with me." She told him.

"Honey, no one has patience with me and I don't expect you to, either." He said with a laugh. And they kissed again.

House tore his lips away from hers and said, "Where did you learn to kiss like that?"

"Practice…with my pillow." She said with a snort.

"Oh, girl, that snort is _real_ sexy! You have to come to class with me, too."

"Not your class, 'How to Kiss 101.' I think you should be in the advanced class." She told him.

He tightened his grip around her waist and slowly lifted her down from the boulder then they slowly and reluctantly walked back to the Inn. As they walked in the door, everyone was sitting in the living room watching the local news.

"Uncle Gweg! Aunt Mewissa! We been waitin' for you!" Charlie said as he ran toward Melissa and she picked him up in one swoop and swung him around. He squealed with delight.

"Man, we're hungry! We're going to the Flying Donkey's Head for dinner." Foreman said as he stood up. He noticed the grimace on House's face when he said the name. "Wow, Nancy, he IS easy!" Foreman laughed.

"Isn't there a McDonald's around here?" House asked as the rest of the group walked toward them putting on their jackets.

"Dr. House, quit complaining, turn around and let's go." Cuddy said as the gang headed out the door.

When they got back from dinner later that evening everyone was completely full and completely tired. Everyone went to bed but Chase and Cameron, who sat downstairs to watch a little bit of t.v.

"Missy, can I talk to you for a sec?" Rog asked as he took her coat and hung it up on the coat rack on the wall. House glared at him at the 'move' he put on 'his' girl, in which Melissa noticed and elbowed House in his stomach.

"Of course." She said as the two walked to the dining room and House sat with Cameron and Chase. When they were done with their talk, Rog headed upstairs to bed.

House dozed off in the chair for a few minutes until Melissa smacked her hand against his left knee.

"Come on, old man. We're going to bed." She said as he jerked awake and his eyes flew open.

"Oh, is Angelina here?" He teased.

"Grow up." She told him as she pulled him up off the chair.

"I am all grown up. You gonna weed me a bedtime stowy? I like Darla Does Denver. It's full of action packed suspense." He said as they walked out of the living room.

"Shut up, Greg." She told him with a grin. She said goodnight to the two on the couch and they headed upstairs.

"Hey, wait, uh, I like it when you're forceful, but isn't this going a bit too far?" House said as they approached her bedroom door.

"Greg, Rog said he didn't have a problem with us being together." She told him as she unlocked the door.

"He gave you permission for us to have sex?" He asked.

"No, you idiot! He's mature, unlike _you_!" She teased as she walked through the door and closed it behind her.

She walked to the bathroom and cleaned her face before she brushed her teeth. House sat on the bed and watched her. Just watching her move was sexy, and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep in her arms. She walked out with two pills in her hand and handed them to House.

"Oh, are you drugging me?" He asked, although he knew they were his Vicodin.

She just stood there and stared at him until he reached out and grabbed them. He held them in his hands for a moment as he watched her grab a nightgown and walk into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. He looked at the pills in his hand.

'Well, she risked a lot for me. Can't I do the same for her?' He thought to himself then he slipped the pills into his jeans pocket, but not without noticing the throbbing pain in his right leg. He stood up and pulled the covers down off the bed. He quickly unbuttoned his shirt and pulled down the jeans, throwing them on the back of a chair. He crawled into bed and pulled the sheets up to his chin, and waited patiently as he stared at the bathroom door for Melissa.

Downstairs in the living room, Chase and Cameron were watching an old British comedy on the BBC. It was about a prince's butler and his 'assistant', for lack of a better word. The Prince was a complete moron, and the assistant was even dumber. Cameron thought the man that played the Prince was sexy in his long, elegant clothes and ruffled night shirt in one scene.

"Uggh! He is not! He's got on all that makeup like a gurl!" Chase debated.

"You're just jealous because us American gals have a weak spot for British accents."

"What? You can hardly tell them apart from Australian." He said.

"Well, he is funny." Cameron said.

"Oh, please. A can of spam is funnier than he is!"

She cocked her head and looked at him. "You _are_ jealous! Unbelievable." She said, but she was just teasing him, but he didn't get the jest. "I think Nancy is right! You men _are_ easy!" Cameron said as she threw the pillow at his face.

"Ow! Ewe may me by my 'ongue!" Chase said as he leaned toward her.

"I'm sorry, babe, let me see!" As they got closer to one another he stuck out his tongue and gave her a long, wet slurp on her cheek.

"Ugh! That was sooo gross! I can't believe you did that! Eeeww!" She yelled, then realized how late it was and lowered her voice then she laughed softly.

"You deserved that!" He told her.

"I did not!" She protested.

"Did to!" He said as he leaned in closer with his tongue out like he was going to do it again.

"Youwillnot…." She started to say as she stood up and stood at the end of the couch. "You have been working with House too long. He's becoming a bad influence on you." She said seriously, but was just egging him on.

"Hey! I'm proud to be just like House! I mean, I watch porno and can have as much sex as the next guy and love my Vicodin." He said as he was imitating House.

"I'm going to bed." Cameron said as she turned around and turned off the t.v.

"Come here, first." He told her.

"Pardon me? No, I'm going up."

"Come here, woman!" Chase demanded.

"Oh, well, since you put it that way, goodnight!" Cameron said then stormed upstairs with a grin on her face. But she knew he'd be right behind her. After all, they were sharing the same bedroom. Cameron quickly put on her negligee she'd brought for the trip to surprise Chase, and now was the perfect opportunity to wear it. After all, they only had tonight at the Inn and the next night in London, then flying out the morning after that.

When she heard a knock on the door she went to it and flung it open. Standing there, with his eyes bugged out of his head and his mouth wide open, was House. Staring at Cameron, in her negligee, with a clear view of her 'fun bags.'

"Wow, very nice." He said with a sadistic grin.

"What do you want?" She asked as she hid behind the door and just poked her head out.

"Chase."

"He's downstairs." She told him.

"Ok. Hey, can I get an 8x10 of you in that?" He asked right before she slammed the door in his face.

Then she heard a knock on the door again. She flung it open and started to say, "Go away!" when she was silenced by Chase standing at the door.

"What's wrong with you?" Chase asked as he walked in the room and she closed the door behind him.

"Did you see House?" She asked him.

"No, I didn't."

"Oh, you would have. He was just here, I mean a millisecond ago." Or was he, really, just here? Was it her imagination playing tricks on her? Nasty tricks. But tricks that wouldn't work, nonetheless.

"You look beautiful, Allison." Chase said as he stepped toward her. "Are you sure you are alright?"

She looked at him, nodded her head and took one step closer to him. She put her arms around his neck and led him to the bed, where she quickly turned him around so he'd fall on the bed with her on top of him.

"Have you been doing Meth again?" Chase asked with a grin as he kissed her back passionately.

"No, I don't need it anymore. I have you, now. You're a much better choice." She said as she rolled herself over so that Chase was now lying on top of her.

Either they were both extremely tired or just needed one another that night, neither one of them let their inhibitions come to the surface. The love they made that night reaffirmed what they felt about each other: that they truly were in love, and no one would ever take that away from them.

After they made love, Chase lie in Cameron's arms and fell asleep, while Cameron stayed awake a little longer, thinking: She was glad House and Melissa got together. Somehow she changed him in a way Cameron knew she couldn't have. It was better that way. Besides, she was happy with Chase, really happy. Cameron ran her finger over Chase's cheek and was thankful she had

him. Everything was perfect. And Cameron fell asleep content and peaceful, with Chase by her side.

Back in Melissa's room, House closed his eyes for just a minute, just to rest them, before he would watch her walk from the bathroom to him. He felt the bed shake a little as it jerked him awake from that semi-sleep stage. He felt her cool, smooth-satin gown brush against his skin as she lied next to him and put her head in her right hand.

"Angelina?" House said with a grin on his face.

"No, baby, her fake lips are bigger than mine. Mine are real." She said, staring at him as he opened his eyes.

"So are your fun bags." House teased.

She giggled and put her left hand on the blanket that covered his neck and slowly pulled it down to his chest. She watched his eyes the whole time and his eyes turned even bluer than they were and his face softened to an angelic glow. She pressed her body closer to his and buried her face in his neck as she ran her foot up and down his left leg. He pulled his left arm up to nestle her head in his arm.

"Is this weird to you?" She asked him.

"No. Is it to you?"

"Hmm-hmmph. I like it." She said, running her hand down to his waist and to his right thigh. She felt his body tense when she touched the beginning of his scar.

"Donn…" He whispered.

She 'sshhh'd' him, then pulled the sheet down to his ankles and he glared at her the whole time, not trusting her, scared of her, ashamed of himself. She sat on his left and gently, softly, ran the tips of her fingers over the top of the scar moving slowly down. Just like she had in her dream, and it felt exactly the same.

She looked up at him to see how he was coping with what she was doing, and as soon as their eyes met it seemed to her that he finally relaxed, and trusted her, completely. They didn't make love that night, but they made the most important steps: They confronted their feelings about one another, and both chose to trust the other, a big step. And it was enough for them, for now, anyway.

Later that night, Melissa rolled over and stretched her arm out for him, but her hand was met with the bed sheet.

"Greg?" She whispered as she opened her eyes. She saw him standing in front of the window with the cane in his right hand, and it was quite apparent, even from the back that he was in a lot of pain.

"What is it, baby?" She asked as she got out of bed and walked up beside him. He stared out the window in deep thought and didn't look at her. She took a step in front of him and looked at his face.

"Please, talk to me." She begged. He finally looked down at her.

"This is the single, most scary thing I have ever done in my life." He simply said. She frowned at him, waiting for him to explain further, but he didn't.

"What do you mean?"

He turned to look at her. "I mean this…us."

"I know. I'm scared, too. I think it's perfectly natural, considering our circumstances. No one ever said love is a definite thing. All I know is how I feel about you." She told him.

House nodded his head. "It's not going to be easy, but I'm willing to give us a try."

"It will work out. If it's meant to be, it'll happen. And I like it so far." She told him. "Now, get your 'buns of yogurt' back to

bed." He sat on the bed and she noticed his face contort in pain when he lifted his right leg up onto the bed.

"Greg, you took the Vicodin, right?" He nodded his head.

"Hmm. I don't believe you. Then why are you still in pain?"

"Because we haven't had sex yet." House said trying to be funny but it didn't work.

"What did you do with them?" She demanded.

He looked at her to determine if she was going to break, and she didn't. _'Good girl.' _He thought to himself.

"They're in my jeans pocket." He simply said. She walked over to the jeans, pulled them out of the pocket and handed them to him.

"Swallow." She told him. He took them and did so.

She bent over and gave him a long, hard kiss. But it wasn't because she wanted to; she did it to tell if he really did swallow the pills or not. And he did. _'Good boy.' _She thought to herself.

Melissa and House have confessed their love for each other. But what happens to Rog? Does he get his revenge on House for 'stealing' his girl? Hmmmm


	10. Chapter 10

**CHAPTER TEN **

On the flight back home from London, the whole gang was exhausted. Sarah and Wilson kept Charlie occupied with reading and coloring so he'd behave on the plane; Rog read through another medical book; Foreman challenged House to Texas Hold 'Em; Nancy and Melissa watched their 'men' try to cheat at the card game; Cuddy sat by the window looking out as they flew over Wales and Ireland; and Cameron and Chase were both covered up with the same blanket with their heads leaning against the other and their hands entwined under the blanket.

Cuddy sat back in the seat trying to comprehend everything that had happened the past few days. Rog and Melissa didn't get married, and that's the only reason she came here; House and Melissa declared their love for each other but didn't get married; they had a food fight, the first for her since high school, in Mrs. Stone's Inn, and she was going home alone. Not exactly what she planned.

FLASHBACK THREE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE TRIP

Cuddy had been purposefully giving House a hard time on anything she could, from extra clinic hours or threatening to fire him if he didn't finish the reports on patient's charts. And every time she cornered him with the extra work, he'd moan and groan, as usual, but then he'd do it. That's was it! No haggling, no bargaining. She couldn't figure out what was going on with him because he was being way too cooperative.

Then came the day when it dawned on her what was going on. She saw House and Melissa together in the cafeteria. They were in line with their trays of food, and when they got to the register, House pulled out his wallet and paid for it. She couldn't believe it! She watched them as they headed off to a table and sat down. They sat across from each other, but seemed to maneuver their chairs a little bit closer to each other. They seemed to be whispering, occasionally laughing.

What really clued her in was when Melissa let out a hearty laugh that even Cuddy could hear from the door and then Melissa touched House on his forearm. It wasn't a quick tap; it was a place and hold, which seemed odd for House because he didn't like talking to people, much less people touching him. She thought about going in for a top secret, covert mission, but she knew the perfect day would come to confront them, and so she did. She waited. But it didn't take as long as she planned.

A few days later, shortly around 'General Hospital time', Cuddy went into the doctor's lounge looking for a Pediatrician when she caught, out of the corner of her eye, House and Melissa lying on the doctor's cots together. She smiled to herself, like the Grinch before he swooped down on Hooville. She pushed the swinging door open so hard it hit the wall and made Melissa jump awake which woke House up.

"What in the hell is going on here?" She screamed.

"Nothing, Lisa/Boss." Both House and Melissa said at the same time.

"Lisa, I wasn't feeling good…my stomach was cramping up, and I asked Doc to stay with me. Nothing happened."

Cuddy stood there with her hands crossed over her chest. "House, I am _not_ paying you to sleep while you work, especially with my Assistant."

"Wait, that's not fair." Melissa said. "I'm off the clock, and you know what his excuse is." She said as she cocked her head to him.

"Melissa, I want to see you in my office at 8am; House, you have 4 more hours of clinic duty." Cuddy said then stormed out.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" House screamed as he stood up and they walked through the door.

"Doc, I think you need to go out with her again and 'make her happy.' She's been so nasty lately, even to me in the office. I mean, she's always nasty to you, but, that's normal."

Cuddy stormed back to her office in a foul mood, and she rarely was this angry, well, close. She still hadn't figured out why she was this angry because since House had Melissa move in with him, he had changed: He was going to counseling with Dr. Parker, his need for the Vicodin had diminished, he was a lot less stressed out. She should have been happy. But she wasn't.

She stood up and went to get coffee. She saw Melissa in the lobby with House and she walked out the front door to go home, while House headed for her office. Immediately she tensed up and walked back to her desk and sat down.

"Cuddy, what's going on with you?" House asked as he limped in and sat down in the chair across from her. "Has anything happened with that Cole guy?"

Cuddy wiggled in her chair and tried to think of something to say but since she didn't know why she was feeling what she was she was speechless. She wasn't ready to confront House face to face, and she had every intention of firing Melissa the following morning. Not because she was doing a poor job, she wasn't; she was actually an awesome assistant. It was because she couldn't take the chance; exactly what that meant she wasn't sure.

"You know, after all we've been through I thought you'd at least talk to me about stuff." He told her. "I deserve that much."

"House, I don't owe you anything. And no, I don't feel as if I can talk to you openly. You don't seem to have the time anyway."

"Oh, I see. Hmmph." House said. "I think I get it. Are you jealous of Melissa and me? Because you shouldn't be, regardless of what you saw in the lounge. I care about her, just like I care about you and Cameron and Chase and Foreman…well, scratch Foreman. But that's as far as it goes." He said, trying to sound convincing.

"Fine. You can think what you want. But consider this a warning." She told him.

House looked perplexed. "A warning? Warning against what, exactly?"

"When I figure that out I'll let you know."

"I've never seen you like this. It's not very becoming." He told her.

"Neither is your stubble." She shot back.

"Ok, you know what?" House said as he stood up. "I'm done with this right now. When you are willing to open up and tell me what the hell is going on, you know where to find me."

"In the janitor's closet?"

"Yes, exactly." He said as he walked out the door.

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

Cuddy never did fire Melissa because she didn't have the heart. House was right, he did deserve an explanation. But she

couldn't tell him she had feelings for him at that time, and gradually she'd come to realize that Melissa was good for him.

"takehouse'sclinichoursawaaay……taaakehouse'sclinichoursawaaay…" A male voice whispered in Cuddy's ear.

"giveforemanchaseandcameronaraaaays…" Another male voice whispered. "rogisyourfaavoriteemployeeeee…" "givemelissaaraaaystoooo…" A female voice whispered. "fiiiirehousssse…" Another male voice whispered.

"HEY, Chase!" House yelled which made Cuddy jump; she'd fallen asleep as she was thinking.

"ImmmmNOTasleeeeep…youallare fiiiired." Cuddy said as she grinned then opened her eyes. Sitting next to her were House and Melissa; peeping from over the front seat were Cameron and Chase; standing in the isle were Rog, Foreman and Nancy; and behind her were Sarah and Wilson.

"Can't a woman get some peace around here?" She asked as everyone cracked up and either walked away or sat down in their seats, while Melissa remained in the isle talking to Cameron.

"What's up, boss!" House said cheerily.

"Me, now." She said with a laugh. "Who went away with the pot?" She asked, referring to the poker game.

"Oh, what a pathetic wimp! I took all his money! He should stay away from Vegas." House said and immediately the back of his chair was violently pushed forward.

"I heard that, House! And tell her the truth!" Foreman said from the seat behind them.

"Ok, ok. He won, so I had to pull out my Smith & Wesson and shot him to death. Cuz he cheated. It was justifiable homicide, boss!" House told Cuddy.

"I DID NOT! I won fair and square." Foreman objected.

"Ok, he's right." House said.

"Thank you, House." Foreman replied.

"He is a square." House shot back. Again, Foreman pushed his seat forward violently. House just laughed sadistically.

"So, do I have my clinic hours revoked?" House asked Cuddy.

"Nope. I've just added two more." She told him.

"You know? Did I ever tell you how much I love your sense of humor?"

Cuddy answered seriously, "I have a sense of humor? Wow, I didn't know that. No one's ever told me that before."

"Ok, ok. I give. Are you really ok?" He asked her.

"Ok with what?"

"Me and Melissa." House answered. "I mean, after your little jealous spat I didn't want to leave another woman with a broken heart."

"Oh, please. And yes, I'm okay with you and her together. Just don't mess with her or you'll have me to answer to." She said seriously.

"Ok, good." He said and stood up facing down the cabin. "Missy, our boss said we can have an affair now!"

House yelled with a 'thumbs up' sign, even though she was now sitting directly in front of Cuddy.

Melissa blushed, shook her head and said, "Doc, go back to your seat!"

"But I wanna hear all the latest gossip from you ladies….eh, Chase? Have you heard anything lately?" House asked after he'd turned around to face Cameron, Chase and Melissa.

"Hey, Chase! Why don't you go kick House's butt in poker!" Melissa suggested so she could get him away while she and Cameron got caught up on the visit from her brother, Doug.

"Fat chance!" House challenged Chase.

"You don't scare me, House." He answered back.

"Well, you should be. Be afraid, be very afraid." He shot back as Chase stood up and the two went to the center row isle.

"Now, Allie, tell me! I've been dying to ask but have been busy wi…did Doug kick Chase's ass?" Melissa asked but in a soft whisper.

FLASHBACK MONTH EARLIER

Cameron has been nervous all day while working at the clinic because her older brother, Doug, was coming to visit for that evening. He was in Jersey for a conference in Atlantic City the following day. She caught herself from giving a patient an injection with 50 insulin rather than the needed .5 insulin. Chase, on the other hand, was quite calm and collected, even though Cameron had pre-warned him about her brother. Cameron walks into the conference room that afternoon and heads straight for the coffee pot.

"Why can't anyone brew the next pot when it's EMPTY!" Cameron fusses at the three sitting around the table, who just stare at her like she's a mad woman. She puts the filter and scoops of coffee in, hits the 'brew' button then walks to the table and sits down.

"What's wrong with _you_, Cameron?" Foreman asks.

"Her brother is coming in from Atlanta tonight." Chase simply answers.

"Oh, I've heard about him. You got your will last wil…" Foreman starts to say but is cut off by House who screams from his office.

"…floor, you dillweeds!" All of them look at House and try to figure out what he is saying.

Rog gasps then runs to the machine, where the hot coffee is pouring onto the burner, making a 'sizzing' and crackling sound. He grabs the pot sitting next to the machine and quickly places it on the burner. Cameron runs over to the pot, too, and starts to help clean up.

"I'm sorry, guys." Cameron says.

"ROG! Get in here!" House screams from his office. Rog turns to look toward House's office and his hand accidentally knocks over the entire _full_ can of coffee, which sends it crashing to the carpeted floor.

"Thank God House didn't see that." Rog says.

"I'll get this, Rog. You go on." Cameron says as she scoops up the coffee with the cup and puts it in the nearby trashcan.

"Yes, Dr. House?" Rog says as he opens the door to his office.

"There's an 'Anti-Klutz 101' class in 15 minutes. I want you to attend. I would have gone myself, but like a klutz, I wrote the date in _last_ month's calendar page." House says with a smirk.

"Uh, I didn't do that."

"Then why were you the first to the machine?"

"Because I was the closest, Sir."

"Who did it?"

"Dr. Cameron, Sir."

House nods. "Ok, then you just got two hours of my clinic duty."

"I don't do clinic duty, Sir." Rog corrects.

"Oh. Then tell Chase he does."

"Is that all you wanted?" Rog asks.

"Yeah, you can go now." House says and Rog does so.

Rog walks back into the conference room and tells Chase he has House's clinic hours. "Yeah, we'll see if _that_ happens." Chase tells Rog.

Rog goes to help Cameron clean up. Of course, Chase and Foreman sit where they are and says, "Let us know if you need any help."

A few minutes later, Cameron's cell phone goes off to the tune of Ricky Martin's 'Livin' La Viva Loca.' She pulls it out of her pocket, looks at it then looks into House's office. He sits at his desk with a sly grin on his face. She shakes her head, stands and heads to his office.

"House, I was right there! Couldn't you have hollered? Or even seen I was busy?" She snaps.

"Ooooh, are you getting snippy with me, woman?" House says as he sits up straight in his chair.

She gives him a death glare. "I am _not_ your woman, and I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't say that again."

"Ok. That was uncal…" He starts to say.

"Yes, it _was_. Now, what did you want?" She asks as she puts her hands on her hips.

"I saw you forgot to put the pot on the bur…" House starts to say.

"You SAW me forget it and you didn't SAY anything!"

"Would you _stop_ interrupting me! And yes. I wanted to see if you'd really do it. That's something Rog would do but not you. Where is your head at?" He asks.

Cameron sighed and sat down in the chair. "It's my brother. He's coming in this afternoon."

"So?"

"He's not the most pleasant person to be around."

"So?"

She gets a bit perturbed. "Fine! He is a chauvinistic, egotistical, know-it-all, 'do it _my_ way' person and he always sets me on edge."

"Then why did you invite him?"

"Because he's my brother." She answers.

"So?" Cameron shakes her head as House says that. "Look, do what I do, okay?"

"I will _not_ take pain k…"

"Oh, do shut up! It's a little trick I learned, though I haven't put it to use yet." House tells her. She looks at him inquisitively. "When he's not looking, slip some Batrobitrol into his wine. He'll be out in five minutes."

Cameron stands up but House says, "I'm joking, calm down." Cameron remains standing.

"Whenever you get yourself stressed out while he's there, ask to be excused and go to a quiet place, like, the bathroom for five minutes and count while you breathe in and out." House says seriously. Cameron shakes her head and walks out, leaving House confused because he is being dead serious.

House allows Cameron to go home early that day, but of course she has to do an hour of his clinic duty. _'I'm gonna have to talk to Melissa about putting some 'niceness' medication in his cereal.'_ She thinks to herself as she drives home.

Chase isn't home yet because she asked him to go to the grocery store to buy some things. She changes clothes and has an hour to get the salad and spaghetti ready. She drinks a glass of wine while she changes just to calm her nerves. Then she has another when she makes the salad. Then she has another when she makes the spaghetti. So, she is already tipsy when Chase makes it to her place.

"You want some wine, Robert?" She asks when he sets the food on the counter.

"No, thanks. Already had a fifth of whiskey on the drive here." He teases. "Has he called yet?"

"No, he wasn't going to."

"I meant House." He says.

She is about to put the spoon of sauce in her mouth to test the seasonings when she stops dead cold and looks at him. "Why would he call?"

"I ran into him on the way out and he sort of invited himself. What could I say?"

"Uh, you could have said NO." She says as she puts the spoon on the counter and walks over to Chase. She puts her fingers around his mouth and puckers them. "Put the tip of your tongue at the back of your front top teeth and say 'oh.' _That's_ how you say no."

"Allison, I can smell the wine on your breath. How much have you had?"

"A couple glasses, why?"

"Because you're drunk already." He says as he looks at the bottle. "Girl, it's half empty!"

"Oh, well, yeah. We have a mouse, too."

"Come on. I've never seen you this stressed out...oh, wait, yes I have." He says with a sarcastic grin.

"Shut up, Robert and help set the table. The sooner he's out of here, the better."

"Hey, he's your boss."

"No, I meant Doug."

"Cameron, it can't be all that bad." She fills a huge pot with water to cook the spaghetti and the doorbell rings. She almost drops it back in the sink.

"I'll get it, babe." Chase says as he walks to the door, takes a breath and opens it.

As the door opens, standing there is a man about 5'11", dark hair, brown eyes, shoulders twice as wide as Chase's and weighs about 240 lbs; chunky, not extremely heavy, more muscle, built like a lineman for the Rams.

"Hi, come on in." Chase says as he opens the door wider for Doug to enter.

"Hey, you're punier than I thought you'd be." Doug says laughing then stuck out his hand for a handshake. Chase turns to look at Cameron as she walks toward them.

"Hey, Doug. How's it going?" She asks as she gives him a hug; she seems to disappear in his arms.

"Good. You still haven't eaten, huh?" Doug says as he walks into the living room.

"No, it'll be ready soon." She says, knowing full well he is referring to her boney arms and legs.

"So, Bobby, I've heard a lot about you. You taking care of my little sis?" He asks as he sits down.

"Of course."

"Let me get the spaghetti going and I'll be right out. Doug, you want some wine?"

"Sure, that'd be great. But make mine a Jack, will ya?"

"You still drinking that straight?" She asks him.

"Of course." He says as he pats his full stomach.

"So, Bobby, I hear you're from England."

"Uh, no. Australia."

"Oh, crickey!" Doug says with a very bad Aussie accent. "No kidding! What did you do to make them kick you out of there?" He asks as he takes the glass from Cameron and she heads back to the kitchen.

"I'm from Adelaide, actually Sydney born and raised." He says proudly.

"Oh! I heard Al loved it in the Barossa Valley! All that goood wine! She just loves wine." Doug says, but she never mentioned it to Chase before so he thinks Doug is being sarcastic.

"Actually, I loved Coopers beer!" Cameron hollers out from the kitchen as she plays along with Doug's stupid comment. She has never _been_ there; she just hears Chase talk about the beer.

"Ok, done." Cameron says as she sits down on the couch across from her brother with a glass of wine in her hand. Chase makes a mental note to make sure she doesn't overdo it with the wine.

"My boss is coming for dinner, too. He'll be here any minute." She says as she sips her wine.

"Oh! You're doing your boss _and_ Bobby?" Doug says a little too loud.

Cameron cringes and thinks to herself, _'No. He's also an arrogant, self-centered jerk, too. You should get along with him just fine.'_

"My name's Robert, not Bobby." Chase corrects him.

"Oh, ok, sure, Bobbo. Sorry 'bout that." Doug says as the doorbell buzzes.

"Oh, that must be House now." Cameron says as she jumps up a little too fast and sets the wine glass on the coffee table. She opens the door and finds House in black jeans, white, plain t-shirt and his bike jacket holding his helmet.

"Come in, House." She says as she reaches for his helmet.

He nods and steps through the door, takes off his jacket and hands it to her. He sees Doug and Chase sitting in the living room as Cameron goes to the bedroom to store his stuff. House hates introductions; he is more for the sarcastic-comment opening line to introductions, but under the circumstances, he thinks it best he doesn't. He starts to walk toward them when Cameron bounds out from the back.

"This is Doug, my brother. This is my boss, Dr. Gregory House."

"Hey! You go by your full name, too? What is it with you all in Jersey?" Doug asks. Cameron rolls her eyes but she has her back turned so no one sees it.

"No, I go by House. Dr. House." He says curtly.

"Ah, James Bond! Got it!" Doug says with a laugh, but he is the only one that does. House looks at Cameron and notices her shoulders are tense and square, a sure sign of her nerves about the break.

"Need help with dinner, Cam...Allie...Allison?" House asks, not because he wants to help, but because he doesn't want to be in the same room with her brother.

"Sure. You can help with the garlic." She says as she turns to the kitchen.

"Oh, I don't do garlic. I break out in hives, grow fangs...it's disastrous." He says as he follows her to the kitchen.

They all sit down to dinner, and is going well, until Cameron finishes her fourth glass of wine and is so drunk she is slurring her words.

"What's the matter, sis? Can't hold your liquor?" Doug asks her. She shoots him a look that only little sisters can give.

"So, Doug, what do you do for a living?" Chase asks, hoping to change the subject.

"I'm a freelance photographer." He answers.

"Oh, so, basically, you have no job." House says sarcastically as Cameron bursts out laughing.

"Oh, that's a good one, House!" Cameron stutters.

"So, Dr. House, what happened to your leg?" Doug asks him.

House looks at him surprised at his bluntness, and so rude. "I kicked a punk ass like yours in college and broke my foot in his a..."

"Uh, I think we're pretty much done with dinner. What do you say we go into the living room?" Chase asks as he tries to avoid an unnecessary confrontation as he stands up and heads for the living room.

"Cameron, don't you have something to do in the bedroom?" House asks as he stands up and reaches for his cane.

"Oh, geez, sis! Not while I'm in the house." Doug spits out as he walks into the living room.

"Doug, why don't you shut the hell up!" Cameron says as she grabs two plates and heads to the kitchen. Doug gives her a look like he's just been kicked in the balls. House smiles, and makes sure Doug sees it.

"Cameron...eh, need help?" Chase volunteers, pulling a 'House.'

"No, I've got this under control." She says as she puts the plates back down and heads to the living room, ready to give the first

Oscar performance of her life.

"You know what? I've sat here and listened to you be rude, insult, belittle and disrespect my boyfriend _and_ boss! And I've never said anything, even when we were growing up. But I'm not going to let you do it anymore! I'm not a child, Doug. Stop treating me like one!" Chase and House stand in the dining room speechless as they watch her pound her brother.

"You know what your problem is, Douglas! You are too pathetic in the life you've chosen that you have to condescend to everyone that's around you! And the only person you are hurting is yourself! I've got something to do in the bathroom." She says quickly and goes to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

"Ah, there she goes again. Geez, that girl is always PMS'ing." Doug says with a laugh. Chase looks at House but not for guidance. He knows exactly what he needs to do.

"Doug, I think you'd better go, now." He tells Doug.

"What, her boyfriend's gonna kick me out of his own sister's apt? You've got the nerve." Doug starts to say as he stands up and walks to the door.

"No, he's doesn't have the nerve, but I do." House says as he holds out the cane behind Doug's knees while Chase stands in front of him.

"Yes, I am. Now go." Chase says as he walks forward so Doug can gradually run into House's cane.

"I most certa..." Doug starts to say but he trips on the cane and falls back on his butt. House and Chase both laugh out loud. Doug slowly stands up, brushes the back of his pants and walks to the door.

"Well, it was certainly a pleasure meeting you." House says sarcastically as he opens the door. He shoots a glare at House as he turns around and walks out, with House slamming the door behind him. House and Chase look at each other, and they both hold out their hand for a high five.

"You need to go check on your girl, Chase. Thank her for dinner. See you two tomorrow." House says as he walks to the door.

"Oh, my stuff." He says as he turns back around.

"I'll get it." Chase says and quickly goes to her bedroom, opens the door and grabs his jacket and helmet, all the while hearing Cameron with her face in the toilet throwing up.

FLASHFORWORD TO THE PLANE RIDE HOME FROM ENGLAND

"Wow, I can't believe Robert stood up for you." Melissa said she giggled.

"Yeah, isn't he _great_?" Cameron said.

"How was your head the next day?"

"Oh, just a little hangover. And I thanked Robert, too." She said with a half-smile.

Melissa looked at her curiously. "What do you mean?"

Cameron just winked and said, "Twice." They both giggled as Chase walked toward them.

Chase had a big smile on his face. "Hey, Foreman! I got your money back!" Chase said laughing as he walked toward him.

The rest of the flight was uneventful, except little Charlie wanted House to wake up so he could play with him. House had the back of the seat reclined with a blanket over him and his right leg stretched out in the isle. Charlie stood at House's left knee and stared at him, afraid to touch his one leg because of what happened that one time.

Melissa awoke sitting next to House and egged him on. "Charlie, say Angelina Jolie." He looked at her like she'd just spoke

Chinese.

"Ok, repeat after me…Ann…Jell…eena…Joe…Lee." She spoke slowly so Charlie could pick up what she said.

Charlie smiled and in his cute little 5 year-old voice said a little louder than he had to, "Annjuhweena Johleee."

House didn't move. "Unkel Gweg! I SAID Annjuhweena Johleee!" He said more clearly.

"Huh, huh, where? Angelina! Come back!" House whispered then grinned and opened his eyes. "Did you see where she went?" House asked as he looked at Charlie with his eyes popped open, playing along with him.

"Who?" Charlie asked.

"Angelina Jolie."

"I dunno…tink she went…tha' way." He said as he pointed down the aisle.

House laughed along with Melissa then he picked him up and set him on his left knee. Melissa rested back in the seat and watched House with Charlie. Charlie ran his hand over House's bearded chin. "How come Daddy dunt have one of deese?"

"Cuz he's not a real boy." House told him.

"OH! Daddy's Pin-oak-eeoh?" Charlie asked amazed.

"Yep, something like that." House said and kept playing mind games with Charlie. Melissa had a huge smile on her face the whole time. Sarah came over and grabbed Charlie and told him not to bother House.

"Oh, he wasn't. I was just babysitting. That'll be 40 bucks, please." House said as he stood up to go to the bathroom.

"Uh, right!" Wilson objected from behind them.

When they finally touched down at the airport it took them longer than anticipated and didn't get through customs until after 8pm. They headed to the luggage area where as soon as they turned the corner, Melissa, walking beside House carrying his other duffle bag, swiftly stepped behind House but in front of Wilson and kept walking.

"Melissa, wh…" Wilson started to say.

"Shhh! Just keep walkin', House." Melissa said in barely a whisper.

They took a few more steps and a woman shouted, "Maleeesa! Baybeee! Wharah have ewe been?"

They all stopped at the same time except Melissa, who had been looking in the opposite direction. She banged right into House's back and he almost went forward but he got his balance quickly enough with his cane.

"What is WRO…" House started to say as he turned around.

"WHAT-A-YOU DONE TO MY DAUGHTER!" The woman screamed as she looked at House. The woman was about 5'6" with jet black hair and wild eyes in a ripped, worn jean jacket with sweatpants that looked 50 years old.

"YOU DONE GONE OFF AND MARRIED THIS…THIS…MY GOD, MELISSA JEAN! HE OLDER-'N' YOUR OWN DADDY!"

"Mother, please don…" Melissa started to say as she coward behind House.

"MY OWN FLESH AND BLUD DONE GOT MARRIED AND I HAD TA' READ IT IN DA' PAPER!"

Melissa felt the tears in her eyes and her whole body started to shake. She wrapped her arm around House's waist and buried her face in his back. Rog stood to the right, Sarah, Wilson, Chase and Foreman each stepped forward while Sarah, Charlie, and Cameron stepped back.

"Mrs. FitzHugh, this isn't th…" Cuddy started to say calmly but it was more than she wanted to hear.

"WHAT, MELISSA? YOU PREGNANT, TOO?" She screamed as she took a step toward Melissa.

"House, get her out of here." Cuddy whispered in his ear as she walked by him.

House took a few steps to the left with Rog moving right with Melissa like a shield. Several security guards started to walk toward them and the gang backed off so the guards could take care of her mother. The biggest of the guards grabbed the woman by the wrists and tried to pull them behind her, but she was strong, even for him. They wrestled a few seconds before she was on the floor with four guards on top of her. She was screaming and fighting the whole time.

"WHORE! TRAMP! I KNEW I DID YA WRONG BUT DIDN'T THINK YOU STOOP 'DIS LOW." She muffled.

Another guard escorted the gang to a back room where Melissa was barely able to walk and her eyes were glazed over. She had no strength in her arms and legs and let Foreman and Rog carry her by her arms into the room.

"Melissa…Missy…" House said as she sat down in a chair with her chin to her chest. He bent over and lifted her eyelids up to see her pupils.

"She's in shock. We need some oxygen, now." House said to the guard.

"We have a medical unit we…" The guard started to say.

"We're doctors, just bring the damn oxygen!" House barked.

Melissa was running through a deep, dark forest with just the sound of hoot owls above her and the wind blowing the leaves. Occasionally a twig on the ground would dig into her ankles but she kept running. The voice behind following her was her mother's: that high-pitched shrill that made her spine curl. But she kept running.

She got out into a clear field with no cover, and the voice got closer with nothing to hide behind. She walked backward while facing the trees so she could see her mother approach, but it seemed as if the voice was coming at her from all directions. She flew around in circles so her back would never be behind the trees and she kept looking for her mother.

Circling…round and round, walking backward, tripping over an empty liquor bottle…circling…round…her mother's voice getting louder and louder…tripping…circling…

"No….no!" She said to herself. "She can't hurt me…can't hur…" Circling…round…tripping…she felt a hand on her shoulder. It held tight, shaking her, saying her name over and over…

"Nooooo…NOOO" Melissa screamed out loud as she sat up in bed with her eyes open wide and her feet kicking as if she were running. Sweat poured from her face and it was flushed from the nightmare.

"…issa, Melissa…" She heard someone say and felt strong, warm arms around her shoulders. She looked right at him as if he weren't even there.

"She's com…I can't hide…"

"Melissa…wake up, baby. You're with me." House said trying to comfort her.

"…but she…after me…" She started to say when he held onto her tighter and pulled her toward him.

"She can't hurt you, babe, I won't let her." He said softly into her ear as she stroked the side of her face.

"Gre…Greg?" She said then burst into tears.

She buried her face in his chest and felt his heart beat against her ear. She let all the pain, stress and horror she'd been through all her life into this very moment and cried. Not for herself, but for the fact that House was there for her, was protecting her, _did_ protect her at the airport. _'Airport?' _After her sobbing subsided a moment she wiped her cheeks of the tears and looked up at him.

"The a…irport…wha' happened?"

"Babe, don't worry about that now. Wait, I'll be right back."

"No, NO! You said you'd stay." She started to say and the tears started again.

"Babe, I'm just going to get something for you. I'll talk the whole time, ok?" He said.

She let out a laugh-cry; that was one of those laughs you do when you cry over something so petty that it's funny, at the moment. She simply nodded her head. She laid her head back down on the pillow but didn't close her eyes. She wasn't quite sure what she was feeling, but it didn't seem so life-threatening at the time. House walked back into the bedroom with a syringe and vial. "Wha's that for?" She asked.

"It'll help you sleep." He said as he sat down on the bed.

"No, I don't want to sleep, Greg. I can't." She pleaded with him.

"You can fall asleep in my arms, ok?"

"No, no…ca…" She said as she lightly punched him to keep the syringe away from her arm.

"Melissa, STOP IT! I'm trying to help you…please…"

With those words she seemed to calm down and pulled her arm out so he could give her the injection. After he pulled the needle out of her arm he set it on the nightstand and sat next to her until she fell asleep.

"She was after me an…I can't…" She mumbled for a few minutes as her eyes grew heavier and heavier. She grabbed his hand and held onto it as he lie down next to her and put his arm behind her head and held him close to her.

"You're safe. I won't let anything happen to you. You're okay…" House spoke softly and serenely to her until her breathing slowed down and she quit moving her lips as if she still talked to him.

'_Wow, I thought I was damaged.'_ House thought to himself. _'Seems like we're in this boat together.'_

He thought about how surprised he had handled the whole situation with her mother as well as he did; surprised at how much he fought for her; surprised at how he felt about her. But he was okay with that. She gave him what he needed, and he gave her what she needed. It was a fair enough exchange.

'_As long as neither one of us drown.'_ Was his last thought as he drifted off to sleep, with Melissa in his arms; a woman who he really loved, and someone who loved him as well.

House woke up a few hours later lying on his side cuddling with Melissa. He felt her heartbeat against his chest and smiled. Then he noticed the speed of her heart, which was way too fast. He sat up and turned her over on her back and placed his forefinger on the inside of her wrist.

"Melissa…Missy…wake up." He said softly patting her face. She moaned then suddenly he noticed the smell on her breath; vomit. He looked at the edge of the bed and saw on the hardwood floor a small puddle of vomit.

"Baby, come on…wake up." He said as he got out of bed, grabbed his cane and went to her side of the bed. He lifted her eyelids to find her eyes were dilated. He reached over to the phone and dialed '911.'

A little time later at PPTH, House was sitting next to Melissa hooked up to an I.V. and oxygen tube in her nose. Her pulse was still too fast and she had become jaundiced and her fever spiked. She thrashed around in the bed like she was having a nightmare and for the first time in his life he was scared. Well, the second time. Dr. Foreman came into the room with her file. House looked up at him but didn't say anything.

"House, her white blood cell count is low, which indicates cellular depression. We also found Thorazine in her system. Did you know she was taking it?" Foreman asked him.

"I gave it to her."

"And did you also know she was taking Lithium?"

House's head shot up and looked at Foreman. "What? No, I didn't. She never told me."

"And it's not written on her chart from her earlier admittance. Congratulations, House, you've just killed your first patient." Foreman said then walked out. House watched him leave then looked at Melissa.

'_I couldn't have…no way.'_ He thought to himself.

"Mo…eee….don…hurts…stop…" Melissa mumbled under her breath.

"Babe…it's Greg…come on…" House said trying to get her to come around. He shook her hard but it did the trick. Her swollen eyelids fluttered open and she tried to focus on him.

"Have you been taking Lithium?" He asked. She slowly shook her head and tried to swallow, but looked like she was in pain as she did.

"You have a sore throat?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Hard t…swall…back hurts…" She barely got out.

"Okay, baby, we'll get you something for that." He told her as she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. He stood up, walked to the nurse's station and told the head nurse to give Melissa 20cc of Augmentin.

"I'm sorry, Dr., I can't do that."

"Excuse me?" He said.

"We've been instructed not to follow your orders."

"And why the hell not?" He demanded.

"Because Dr. Cuddy told us not to."

House was taken aback by those words. "Is she here?" He asked the nurse and she nodded her head.

House quickly turned on his heel and headed for her office, glancing at his watch; it read 6:45 am. He pushed the door to her office open so hard it banged loudly in protest. She jumped a little behind her desk because she wasn't expecting him – well, she was expecting him, but not to break the glass in the door.

"What in the hell are you doing, Cuddy?" He screamed at her.

"Stopping you from killing Melissa. You're suspended, as of now, with pay."

House's eyes flew open at the words she'd just said. "You're _what_? Oh, come ON, Cuddy!"

"You heard me, House. I'm serious. You gave her the Thorazine without even checking what drugs she was taking, not to mention knowing whether or not she was allergic to it." She told him.

"I live with the woman! I'd know what drugs she was or wasn't taking."

"This is _not_ open for debate, House. I suggest you go home and wait it out."

"'Wait it out?' I'm not going home un…"

"You are also forbidden to visit her as long as she is a patient in this hospital." She said curtly.

"You can't do this, Cuddy!"

"Yes, I can. And I did. Now go home." She told him.

House stood there for a moment staring at Cuddy then stormed out of the office. He couldn't have known she was taking Lithium, could he have? She never mentioned it to him.

'_Could there be an underlying cause of her symptoms?'_ He thought to himself as he drove back to his apartment. He walked in and immediately grabbed his notebook and pen and sat on the couch and started to write.

'Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome' – NMS; Muscle rigidity – back; irregular heartbeat – pulse up; fever;

Neuromuscular – Dystonias; Liver deteriorate'

'_Don't tell me her liver is failing. No…no.'_ He thought to himself. _'I couldn't have done this to her.' _

He looked around the room at a few of her things she'd set in the living room. A thought crossed his mind, something he never thought he would bring himself to. But he had to do it, for Melissa's sake. He stood up, grabbed his cane and walked toward her bedroom. He opened the closet door and looked at the neatly piled jeans and sweaters on shelves. He pulled them back a bit to see if anything was hidden under there, but there wasn't.

He went to each drawer and did the same…nothing. He went to the bathroom and opened the cupboard. There were three bottles of medication: Chlorimentin, Phenothemol and prescription Motrin 600. He closed the cupboard, but then opened it again and grabbed the bottle of Motrin. He caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror and was shocked at his appearance. His eyes were dark and his face looked tired and worn. He popped open the bottle of Motrin and poured the pills into his hand. He turned one over and looked at the writing on it. It read 'LM 200.'

"This isn't Motrin. Damnit! She was taking Lithium. But why didn't she ever tell me?" He said out loud. He put the bottle in his pocket then headed back to the hospital.

When House arrived at the hospital he went straight to Melissa's room. She was still out of it but the oxygen tube had been removed. Her complexion was back to its rosy color and her pulse was normal. He heard the sliding door open and Cameron walked in.

"How's she doing? I just got in." She said as she walked toward the bed. He just nodded his head. "Dr. House, I should have told you she was on Lithium but she swore me to secrecy."

"Outside, Cameron. Wait for me." He said as he glared at Cameron.

She looked at him dumbfounded then walked out. He looked at Melissa for a few minutes then left her alone. He quietly slid the glass door closed behind him.

"What was the reason you didn't tell me, Cameron?"

"House, it's called friendship. But you don't know what that means, do you?" She said sarcastically. "The question is what were _you_ doing with the Thorazine?"

"That really isn't any of your concern." He told her bluntly.

"It _is_ my concern when you almost kill a friend of mine, House. You can kill yourself, but you will _not_ take anyone down with you." And with that she stormed away, and he watched her until she turned a corner.

House's expression changed from surprise at Cameron's words to complete devastation. He had to convince Cuddy to get some more blood work. He walked to her office but she wasn't there. He headed up to his office to talk to Wilson. He didn't speak a word as he walked in and sat in a chair.

"How's Melissa?" Wilson asked.

"Stable." He simply said.

"House, did you know she was taking Lithium?"

"Hell, no. I wouldn't have given it to her if she did. But I'm wondering if maybe you can get Cuddy to check for hepatic encephalopathy."

"Do you know the rarity of that? But, she did have a liver transplant."

"She must have taken Thorazine before for that kind of reaction which could indicate H.E. I'll call Dr. Stafford at the rehab center. But I think it's NMS."

"Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome? Again, do you know how rare that is?"

"Yes, but it has happened. Damn. See what you can do?" House said as he stared out the window. Wilson nodded his head.

"Thanks." House said as he walked out to his own office. He picked up the phone and dialed the Dr., then after several minutes he hung up.

_'Why was she hiding _that He asked himself. That made no sense, but he understood where she was coming from.

"Dr. House? Melissa's awake." Rog said as he poked his head in the door. "Thought you'd want to know before Cuddy did."

House nodded his head and headed to her room, although he had no idea what he was going to say. Her refusal to tell him about it made him feel betrayed, and angry. He slid open the door and walked in. She was staring out the window watching the red, orange and yellow leaves fall down from the trees.

"Melissa?" She didn't respond. "How are you feeling?" She still didn't respond, but she turned to look at him. Her eyes were red and swollen.

"How should I be feeling, Doc?" She said angrily.

"Hey, this was not my fault. You never told me you were on Lithium."

"And you never told me you were doing Thorazine, either." House couldn't reply to that because she was right but he still tried to weasle himself out of 'the blame.'

"Melissa, I would never do anything to hurt you. I've been taking the Thorazine for a month, and only then 3-4 a week. I've tried to cut back with the Vicodin but it wasn't enough. I've even made progress with Dr. Parker. And I did it all for you."

They stared at each other a moment. "Why didn't you tell me about your dad?" He asked.

Her eyes flew open and she seemed surprised. "Ah, you spoke with Dr. Stafford. When does he want me to come back?"

"Back? He doesn't want you back." He told her.

"But you almost killed me."

House sighed. "Look, I know you were young when what happened to your father gave you that psychotic break. But Melissa, you're not that same girl. Don't you see? You are the person you are today because of that."

"Oh, is that what you tell yourself?" House looked confused. "I know about LizBeth, a little, but enough. You blame yourself for

not being there for her and I blame myself for what I did to my father."

"And you had that break after you killed him, not before. That was self defense, baby. You were 15. That wasn't your fault." House told Melissa.

"Then why do you need those drugs, then, huh? I know you were doing something before you leg, you had to have been. Look, my ex-boyfriend was a coke addict and I sure as hell don't want to be in a relationship with another one." She snapped.

"Do you have any idea what it's like to live with my pain?" He asked her.

"Tell me, is that physical or mental pain?"

House shook his head. "Ok, so I screwed up, a lot. But things have changed so much for me so far this year. And it's because of you, Melissa? Don't you get it? I've tried to kick back on the Vicodin since the summer because my feelings for you changed. I was afraid to tell you, didn't want to tell you."

She shook her head. "Greg, I can't do this. Not now. I don't know what I want."

"Do you want me?" He asked after a brief moment of silence.

"We'll talk about it, but not now. I need time to think." She told him as she turned her head to look out the window again.

"Don't give up on me, Melissa." He simply said but she didn't respond.

He sighed. "Ok, when you're ready, I'm here for you, Melissa. Remember that." Then he left.

Melissa wanted to scream at him but she didn't have the energy. Her hallucinations from the two medications made all the memories of her parents flood back to her, and she didn't want to face them again. Not now that she had House. But the fear of 'losing' it again was too much for her. She lay in bed thinking of the time she killed her father.

FLASHBACK TO WHEN MELISSA WAS_ 15_

Melissa sits at a coffee table doing her homework while her mom sits watching t.v. Her dad comes home from work late and stumbles into the family room, which means another fight between her mom and dad. It starts out normal enough: her mother screaming at him about his cold dinner that she wasn't going to reheat for him; he yells back that she's a horrible cook and eats out before he comes home; the glass being thrown at her dad but misses him. But that's where things got worse.

He grabs her mother by the throat and pushes her back against the wall, yells loud enough to drown out the t.v. noise. "I told you NEVER to do that again!" He screams at her.

"Well if you weren't so drunk and lost your balance I would have hit you!" She answers back.

"Dad, stop it! You're hurting her!" Melissa says as she stands up.

That only infuriates him more and he gets a tighter grip on his wife's throat and lifts her up against the wall. She starts to gurgle and grips his hands in vain.

"Dad, ENOUGH!" Melissa said as she walks toward them and tries to pull her dad off her mom.

With his free hand he lashes out and strikes Melissa on her cheek which in turn sends her flying to the floor. She remembers the last time he hit her and she's had enough. She slowly stands up and sees her softball bat in the corner from her earlier practice game. Her mother whines and whimpers as she tries to struggle against weight. Melissa picks up the bat and quietly moves toward the back of her dad as she raises the bat. She takes one deep breath and hits him right in the middle of his back. He gasps as he releases the grip on his wife and she slides to the floor as she holds her neck. He arches his back and moans in pain.

"You little bit..." He starts to say but his words were cut off by another blow, this time to his chest. He flies back and lands on his back and groans in pain.

"Melissa Jean, don't!" Her mom pleads. She turns to look at her mom as she raises the bat high over her head.

"You will _never_ hurt me and Mom again, you understand that?" She screams as she brings the bat down over her father's face - once, twice...she was in the middle of the third strike when her mother grabs the bat from behind and guides her hand to her side.

"Enough, girl. I think you've done quite enough." Her mom says.

"He would have killed you, Mom, but you are too drunk to defend yourself. Well, I'm NOT! Not anymore! I'm gone, Mother. I don't need this!" Melissa says as she heads up to her bedroom.

The adrenaline from his attack races through her veins as she finds the nearest thing she can destroy. First it was all the books in her bookcase, then figurines her father had bought her and anything else she could lay her hands on. A few minutes later her mother knocks on her door and comes in. She has devised a plan for Melissa to tell the cops what happened.

Everything else was a blur to Melissa: the talks to the cops, her relief as she sees the body of her father being taken out the front door on a gurney.

"It's over." Melissa says as she glances at her mother, who stood still sipping her whiskey.

"You did this! You killed your father! You'll have to live with this the rest of your life!" She spat at her daughter.

"But, I'm free, Mother. I'm free." She says as she walks out the front door.

"Where are you going? Get back here!" Her mom hollers out the front door, but Melissa keeps walking and never looks back.

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

Again, she doesn't exactly remember what happened when she had her psychotic break. She just remembered it as one long nightmare with all the drugs she'd had to take in the psyched ward. But, luckily for Melissa, she was never charged with murder. There were enough eye-witnesses to vouch that he had been a ruthless, volatile, brute of an alcoholic.

But her life hadn't gotten any better since then. Not until she met House, and had a reason to live. Didn't he tell her he was trying to change for her? And didn't he deserve that much? She wasn't going to let him get away. He was worth it. Being with him was worth it. And she'd never mistrust him again. So, right then and there she told herself she'd tell House about that night, even if it meant losing him. Just then Cameron walked into the room.

"Hey, girl! You look much better." Cameron told her.

"Hi." She simply said.

"Are you feeling any better?" She asked as she checked the monitor for her vitals.

"I dunno. I feel like I'm dying and my eyes hurt."

"Yeah, well, you have a lot of drugs in your system. You're going to feel like hell the next few days." Cameron said as she stood at the side of the bed.

"So, what's new?" Melissa asked.

"We still don't have any cases and the boys are bored."

"No, Allie, I meant what's so different with feeling like hell?"

"Oh, Missy, it's the drugs that are making you feel like that. The I.V. will help flush out the drugs in your system. I promise."

"Thanks." Melissa said.

Cameron frowned. "For what?"

"For not telling Greg I was on the Lithium."

"It was hard for me not to tell him, you know that? Considering what's happened. I wish you had." Cameron said. Melissa's eyes grew hazy and she closed her eyes.

"Get some sleep, ok? You know where to find me. I'll be in the conference room doing nothing. OH! House got us all addicted on that stupid Sudoku game. Right now Rog has the best time in advance and he ticked House off sooo bad!" Cameron said with a laugh.

Melissa grinned and rolled over to try to sleep. But it didn't come as quickly as she hoped. She'd ask House what happened with her mom. She still had no clue once her mother was tackled by the guards.

Back in House's office, he hadn't talked to Cuddy since earlier in the day and he hoped she calmed down enough to come to her senses. He'd give it a try. He walked into her office and stood at her desk waiting for her to get off the phone.

"No, he's too short. What about 6 feet?" She said as she looked directly at House. "I've got to go, call you later, Mom." And she hung up the phone.

"Another man lined up from the pimp-mobile?" House teased.

"What do you want, House?"

"I want to know if I'm allowed to see Melissa now, Mommy. Her curfew sucks."

She stared at him a moment. "She does have NMS and I've ordered her meds. We would never have found it."

House sat there smugly. "Never have found it if what?"

"Ok, you were right. We would never have found it if we hadn't checked her blood. There has been no damage to her liver. You happy now."

"Quite." He said as he stood up.

"House?"

He turned around. "Yeah?"

"You gonna tell her?"

"Yes, I'll tell her you were wrong."

"Funny. NOT. Are you going to tell her about what happened to her mother?"

He stood there a moment, nodded his head then walked out. _'I just don't know _how_ to tell her.' _He thought to himself as he walked back to Melissa's room. She was awake and sitting up in bed, but she seemed dazed. She looked up at him and smiled.

"Oh, my! You _do_ smile!" He said with a grin as he walked toward her bed and sat down. She reached out her hand for his and leaned forward, as if she were going to whisper.

"Greg, I'm sorry about earlier, I really am."

"So?"

"So, what, Doc?"

"So, do you want me?" House asked her.

"It's not going to be easy, Greg. And I have noticed a change in you. But I'm also worried, too, about us, as a couple." House

nodded in agreement but avoided her eyes.

"Greg, what happened at the airport?" She finally asked him.

He took a deep breath before he started. "Melissa, your mother is dead." He said bluntly. She looked at him in amazement and disbelief, then happiness.

"Ok." Was all she said.

He looked at her confused before he continued. "After we were escorted to the back room and the guards wrestled her to the ground, she grabbed one of their guns. In the mayhem the gun went off and your mother was shot. She died on the way to the hospital."

"Ok."

"My God, Melissa, what did that woman _do_ to you?" He asked, shocked at how cold and insensitive she was. He put his left hand on her cheek.

"Greg, it's har...I couldn't even talk to Dr. Stafford." She said as she fought back the tears. "When I was little I used to always get out of bed and watch them from the top of the stairs. They never knew I was there until one night Mom and Dad were drunker than normal. She started screaming at me and from that moment on I was always tied to the bed by my ankle so I couldn't get up.

"But that wasn't the worst of it." She choked. "When I misbehaved at school or home she'd put her cigarettes out on me."

House was in complete shock. "What?"

She nodded her head and pulled the robe down over her shoulders and twisted a bit so he could see her back. There was not one area of untouched skin from her shoulder blades to her mid back. She didn't look at him for the shame of the scars she had and quickly pulled it back over her shoulders.

"I'd always fight and try to get away from her..." She said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Looking back now I was so angry at myself for not telling anyone and not being strong enough." House reached out and held her in his arms and rocked her, like she was that 10-year old again.

"You were helpless, Melissa. You were a child. Oh, baby, I'm soo sorry." Was all House could say and she let herself go. She cried for a good ten minutes until all the strength was gone and she couldn't talk anymore. He gently laid her back on the bed but remained over her with his right arm over her waist.

"I'm a mess, huh?" She asked as she took a couple of deep breaths and tried to laugh. Her sides and shoulders hurt from the muscles tightening.

"We both are." House said.

"Greg? Do _you_ still want me?"

"I dunno. Do you still want _me_?" He answered back.

"I dunno." She said then smiled. She reached out and put her hand on his shoulder and pulled him toward her. "Kiss me and then I'll answer your question." She told him. He grinned, leaned in and kissed her softly, then broke the kiss and looked at her.

"Missy, I want you. And I love you." He said.

"Oh, Greg, I love you, too." She said to him the first time, and it felt good. She knew it was the best decision she'd ever made.


	11. Chapter 11

What is on House's mind about Melissa? Does he love her enough to marry her...to change his life style...to change him self?

We meet Cameron's parents, too. :O)

And there's another addition to the House household.

We meet a friend of Rog's, too.

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

It was Christmas Eve eve and Melissa was sitting at the dining room table wrapping gifts to the gang at PPTH. House was at the piano playing Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and Melissa was singing to it.

When he finished playing she asked him, "What happened to the traditional Christmas tunes, dude?"

He turned around to look at her. "Does the mistress have any special requests?"

"Mistress? How many do you have?"

"Well, I've got Carmen Electra and Angelina Jolie, and that woman that plays Julia on Nip/Tuck."

"Oh, so, which number am I?"

"You're number one because you're the only one that's with me now." He said with a grin.

"Well, then, in that case, Mr. Maestro, play Christmas Bells!" She said as she stood up and sat down on the bench with him.

"Et well bee mah pleashur." He said in a fairly good British accent as he placed his hands on the keys to play the high note intro. She watched his fingers gracefully glide over the keys and the expression on his face. He made the last several keys last about five minutes just to be funny.

"Doc, I saw that expression on your face last night. You making love to the keyboard? I'm jealous! But honestly, you look like you're constipated." She teased him.

"Cuz I am, well, I was last night, too." He answered.

"You're so gross! Ok, I'm off limits to you for two weeks."

"What! You can't!"

"Yes, I can. And I just did." She teased as she laid a kiss on his lips. He placed his left hand in the small of her back and she gasped.

"Did I hurt you?" He said as he pulled away.

"No, no, not at all. I'm not used to it, I guess. I mean, my scars, being touched."

"Hey, I've got something for you!" He said with a big smile as he grabbed his cane and headed off to the linen closet.

"I've already taken a shower for tonight, Greg! I don't need another towel, thank you very much." She hollered out for him.

He walked back to the bench with a sly grin on his face. When he reached her he set the cane against the piano and stood looking at her for what seemed like forever.

"Melissa, you have been the most patient, understanding, strongest, wonderfulest, awesomely sexy woman I have ever known." He started to say.

"Wait! What about your other mistresses?" She teased him.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box with a red bow on it as he got down on his left knee and looked up at her.

"I can't imagine my life without you. You have given me so much and I appreciate everything you have done for me. I have become a better man because of you, and I want to become an even better man."

He handed her the box and she looked at it then into his eyes. She saw the love there and again felt she was whole again, but not like when they made love. Like the emptiness in her heart was filled with his soul from the blueness of his eyes, and the kindness of his heart. She looked back at the box and slowly undid the bow, trying to hide her hands shaking. _'Please be a key to a bike...please be a key to a bike.' _She thought to herself.

She took a deep breath before she cupped her hand over the top of the box and lifted it. Inside the box was the biggest diamond she had ever seen set in platinum. She looked at him in confusion because she wasn't expecting it.

"Gre..." She started to say.

"Melissa, will you marry me?" He interrupted.

She shook her head and felt tears come to her eyes. "Greg, I don't know what to say...this is just so unexpected."

"Melissa, that was a yes or no question, dear."

"I have to think about it." She said with a serious expression on her face. He frowned briefly and she said, "I've thought about it. YES! Of course!"

He smiled, stood up and kissed her. He slowly lifted the back of her t-shirt as he kissed her neck. She put her arms around his neck and tilted her back as he kissed her throat before he pulled the t-shirt off. He stepped behind her and got back down on his knees. Ever so gently he ran his fingers over the scars on her back.

"nooooo..." She muttered under her breath because it had been the first time she'd let him touch her back. Then she felt the warmth of his hand slowly brush against her back and she melted into him, then she felt his lips on her back. She threw her head back and it rested on his shoulder, throwing her arm up and around his neck.

Sounding winded, House said, "We have an hour before we have to get ready to go to Sarah and Wilson's. Wanna fool around?"

After a moment she said, "Wow, you need to work on your romance-ancy. And besides, it'll only take 15 minutes." She teased.

"15 minutes! Try five!" He joked back.

He stood up and reached his hand out to her. She grabbed it and he led her to the bedroom. They made love for 1-1/2 hours, and needless to say they were 45 minutes late for dinner at Wilson's because she still had presents to wrap. But that was just fine with the both of them, because they had never been so relaxed with each other and so in love with each other than at that moment.

Melissa knocked on their front door, and as Wilson opened the door he said, "Man, what happened to you guys? We're starving!"

"We're soo sorry, James. I ran out of tape and had to run to the store to finish the wrapping." Melissa lied as they walked into the living room.

"Uh-huh." Wilson said as he took their coats.

"HI everybody! Merry Christmas!" Melissa said as she walked in the living, set the bag of gifts on the floor and hugged Foreman and Nancy, Cuddy, Rog and Sarah. "Where are Allie and Robert?" She asked.

"Oh, they're having sex, too!" Foreman blurted out which made Melissa blush 20 shades of red.

"Where's Charlie?" House asked as he walked in and waved.

"He's upstairs taking his nap, Greg." Sarah answered as she brought in a tray of mini éclairs, deviled eggs and a vegetable tray.

"Can I get you two something to drink?" She took their preference and went back into the kitchen while they all sat back down again and stared at each other. There had been quite a bit of tension with them the past few weeks.

"How have you been, Rog?" Melissa asked.

"Great, actually. I got my tree up yesterday and I only broke six ornaments!" He said proudly with a smile.

"Are you still going to Atlanta to visit your folks? Cuz we need to keep our equipment in one piece." House said.

"Actually, I wasn't going to, but now I am after that comment." Rog told House. "Cuddy, can I have off the week between Christmas and New Year's?"

"No." She said with a smile then everyone laughed. Sarah came back with the drinks and handed each one to House and Melissa. Melissa took the glass with her left hand and immediately Sarah noticed it.

"Oh my Lord! What is that?" Sarah asked with a smile, grabbing Melissa's hand so fast she had to switch hands to avoid spilling it.

"Oh, um, Greg proposed to me tonight." She said giddily as Sarah inspected the ring closer.

"Is that where my $5,000 went, House?" Wilson teased.

"Yeah, I needed tires for my bike." He shot back.

There were congratulations all around but House noticed the horrified expressions on Wilson and Sarah's face as they glanced at each other. Just then they all heard soft, tiny feet thumping down the stairs and Charlie burst into the room.

"Unkle Greg! Where are you? Aunt Ma-issa?" Charlie said as he ran to the couch.

"Over here, little man!" Melissa said. He skipped over to them, gave Melissa a huge hug and then stood at House's left leg.

"Hey, buddy! How are you?" House asked as he gave Charlie a high five.

"Fiiine." He said. "I made supper!"

"You did! Wow, that's great." House told him as Charlie looked at House's cane. "Sorry, dude, that's mine."

"I know. Was just wooking at it."

"Actually, he made the five cup salad. Didn't you, little buddy?" Wilson said as he winked at House. Just then the doorbell rang.

"It's about time Chase and Cameron got here!" House said as he stood up to get the door when Sarah tried to cut him off to get it herself.

"No, no, I'll get it. I want to give them a hard time." He protested as he heard Sarah and Wilson's voices but ignored them and opened the front door.

But it wasn't Chase and Cameron standing at the door. Instead, it was A.J. (Cuddy's sister) dressed as Santa. "Charlie, someone's here for you!" House hollered.

"HO! HO! HO!" Santa said.

Little Charlie squealed and ran to the door. "Whatcha bwing me? Whatcha bwing me?" He said as he jumped up and down.

Sarah walked to the door and pulled Charlie back a little so A.J., aka Santa, could walk through the door with the red velvet bag of presents. Charlie followed Santa into the living room and placed the bag in the middle of the room.

"Mr. Claus, you early!" Charlie said as he sat beside the bag and looked up at him with his huge eyes. Santa laughed heartily as he dug into the bag.

"I think I've got something for you, Sir!" Santa said as he pulled out a wrapped gift and handed it to Charlie.

"Dis for me?" He said in amazement.

"Yes, Sir! I have one for everyone!" Santa said as he dug in and handed everyone gifts. "Oh, I see there's an Allison, Robert, Stacy and Charnie missing!"

There was silence in the room as if someone just dropped a bomb and they were all deaf, except for the music playing softly in the background. House shot a look at Wilson, then Sarah. House thought to himself, _'shit.' _Then he looked at Melissa, who didn't seem to be angry at all at hearing Stacy and Charnie were supposed to be there. She knew about the baby, but didn't know if he'd

told anyone else.

Santa picked up on the tension and immediately tied back his bag and turned around. "Well, everyone! Have a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!"

"Ah! Do you really have ta go?" Charlie said sadly.

"I'm afraid I do, Charlie. There are lots of good little boys and girls out there that I have to get lots of toys finished!"

"K. Have a safe trip. See ya next year!" Charlie told him as he walked behind Santa to the door. "Hey, cannI see Woodoff?" He asked as Santa walked through the door.

"They're all on the roof! I'll be gone by the time you step outside! It's North Pole magic, Charlie. Be a good boy! HO HO HO!" He said as he turned to go to the side of the house the chimney was on. Sarah picked up Charlie and headed back in the house when they saw Cameron and Chase walk up the driveway.

"You jus' missed Santa!" Charlie said to them as Sarah stood at the door waiting for them.

"We know! We saw him on the roof and they flew away! It was awesome!" Cameron said as they walked through the door and into the living room.

Charlie was so excited about seeing Santa that he forgot to open the gift. His eyes lit up when he saw it. "Mommy, cannI open it?" She nodded with a smile as she set him down and he ran to it. He ripped into it like it was the last gift he'd ever receive and showed everyone his bright red electric fire truck. "KOOOOL!"

Wilson showed him how to use the remote control and that kept him busy for a few minutes. "Mommy, cannI open mine?" House teased and everyone looked at him like he was insane, which was normal, actually, then they laughed and everyone opened their gifts.

The ladies got bath gel and lotion from Bath and Body Works and the men got their favorite cologne (of which Cuddy was spying on the guys weeks before to find out what they were).

Just as they were finished the doorbell rang again. House said seriously, "I am _not _getting that. He might have come back." And there were a few nervous laughs as Wilson went to the door. A few seconds later A.J. came into the room with two gifts in his hands.

"I found these at the bottom of the stairs! They're for Allison and Robert." A.J. said as he sat down after he handed them the gifts. "I'm sorry I'm late. Traffic." He lied and gave Wilson a wink.

Shortly after that Sarah said, "Well, let's get dinner on the table." then walked into the kitchen. Cameron, Melissa, Nancy and Cuddy followed her and Charlie went into the hallway to race the fire truck to the nearest burning building.

"There's something I need to get upstairs. I'll be right back." Wilson said as he stood up and walked out. The remaining men just stared at each other looking for words. House was waiting for something sarcastic from Rog but he didn't. When Wilson came back down the stairs he went through the kitchen and whispered in Sarah's ear, "I called Stacy. She and Charnie can't make it." Sarah nodded.

"Charlie, we have an empty seat at the table. Would you like to join the 'big' table with us this year?" Sarah asked as she brought in two bowls of food and set them down.

"Oh, but I wan Uncle Greg and Mewissa to sit wif me at my table!" He said disappointed as he looked at each of them.

"Ok. We'll be happy to sit with you." Melissa said as she looked at House with an expression that said, "live with it!" and gave him a wink.

"Come on, buddy. But I sit at the head of your table." He said as he smiled at Charlie.

Everyone had their full of food and went back into the living room for coffee. Slowly, one by one they all bid their thanks and left to visit their own families or go back home to start their own celebrating. Chase and Cameron went to her parents' house to exchange gifts; Foreman and Nancy went back to their place; Rog went over to a friend's house; A.J. and Cuddy went to her house and House and Melissa went home.

House opened the door to the apartment and Melissa stepped in. She noticed the message light was blinking on the machine but she didn't say anything. She walked to the couch and sat down.

"Man, I'm so full I could fall to sleep right here." She said as she yawned. "And we really didn't do anything."

"Uh, yeah we did - before we left." House teased as he walked to the machine and pressed 'play.'

"Greg, it's Stacy. I'm sorry I couldn't make it to James and Sarah's but I had to do something first. Do you have time tomorrow we could get together? I know it's Christmas Eve but we'll be leaving day after next. I'm at 806-561-2346. Call me?"

He didn't glance her way while it was being played or when he deleted it. She wasn't looking at him so she didn't know if he wrote the number down or not.

"Greg, were you expecting her? I noticed how tense you got when A.J. said their names." She asked as he handed her a cup of coffee. He shook his head and sat down across from her.

"Santa was A.J.? What?" He teased trying to avoid the subject but he knew he wouldn't get away with it with her.

"Babe, she's your daughter. I don't mind if you see them. I have no right to keep you from her." She said sincerely.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes, I am. But I hope you'd include me. Does she know we're together now?"

"I don't know. Wilson invited her, obviously. But he had no clue I was going to propose to you. But I don't know what he told her. Does that bother you?"

"No. We've come so far I feel I can trust you, but I don't really know Stacy and what she's capable of doing." She told him. "What are you going to do?"

---Cameron and Chase were driving to her parent's house after they left Wilson's and it was quiet the first few minutes.

"Allison, can you imagine Melissa having House's baby now that they're engaged? I mean, can you just picture what his kid would be like? Same as that kid, Damien, but worse. I can see the kid riding his tricycle down the hallway at hospital and bowling everyone down."

"Remember, Melissa has a strong will of her own, Robert. She's far more mature at her age than I was at mine. That girl has lived through hell and has tamed 'the Shrew.' Or, would that be Shrewer? I just wonder how Rog took it. He didn't seem to be shook up or anything."

"Oh, were you looking for him to? Like, hit him or something?"

"No, geez!" She said. "Get real. That's not Rog."

"How did YOU take it?" He asked her.

"I can honestly say I think they are good for each other."

"Are you sure?"

"Well, since you're pressuring me, I'm sad. I thought he would be mine, you know? But, I guess I wasn't good enough for him." She said seriously. He stopped at a red light then turned and glared at her. "Oh, relax, Robert! I'm just messing with you." Cameron said as she leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I think you've been hanging around our boss too long, Allison." He said as he smiled. "That was mean."

"Yeah, well, what can I say?" She said as they pulled out into the intersection.

As they were walking up the stairs to her parents' home a few minutes later, she told Chase, "Remember, do not mention anything about Doug, especially his last visit. Are you nervous about meeting my parents?"

He nodded his head in agreement to not mentioning Doug and he said, "Yeah, a little."

"You'll be fine. My parents love everyone!" Cameron said and gave him a sweet, reassuring kiss. They reached the door and she rang the door bell then immediately walked in.

"Moomm! Dad! We're here!" She screamed as she set the huge gift boxes in the foyer and walked toward the kitchen.

"Hey! Merry Christmas!" Cameron's Mom hollered as she came into the hall and gave Cameron a hug and then hugged Chase like she'd known him for years.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Cameron...Mr. Cameron." Chase said as her father joined them in the hall and gave Cameron a hug. He reached out and shook Chase's hand firmly.

"Emily and Barry, ok? It seems your part of the family now." Emily told Chase as Cameron blushed and they walked into the kitchen and sat around the breakfast table.

"Can I get you a drink, Robert? Al, you want your White Russian, right?" Barry asked as he walked into the family room to the bar.

"Yes, Dad, but a weak one." She told her dad.

"I'll have a gin and scotch, please." Chase said.

"Oh, girl! You can drink more than that! I've seen you." Her dad teased as he poured their drinks and handed them to him as he sat down.

"So, how is work going, you two?" Emily asked.

"Oh, the usual. It's been fairly quiet lately. We've all been bored stiff." Cameron told them.

"OH! That's great! 'Stiff!' You must be treating your patients very well, then." Barry teased his daughter.

"Dad, you always say that. I think you need to come up with new ones."

"Al tells us you're from Australia. How do you like it here?" Emily asked.

"I like it, I really do." He simply said.

"What made you move here, son?" Barry asked.

"Dad, Mom, you don't have to hound him with all the questions." Cameron warned her parents, but said it with a smile

on her face.

"We're just having conversation, dear. HEY! Let's go open presents!" Emily said cheerily as she stood up and started to walk into the living room.

"Mom, we just got here." Cameron protested.

"Get both your little tushies in here and don't argue with me on Christmas!" Emily said with a laugh. Chase went into the foyer to bring in the two big boxes for each of her parents.

"Good Lord, girl! What in the world is this?" Barry asked as he sat down next to Emily.

"They're for your long distance trips so your...oh, just open it." Cameron said excitedly.

"Wait, Bare, give her and Robert their gifts." Barry did so and they proceeded to open them.

"A cushion...a seat cushion...OH! For the van! This is _wonderful_! You know how your father has leg problems when he drives long distance. Wow, thanks, honey."

"No, no. It's a vibrating seat cover with heat! It feels great. Here, let me plug it in." She said as she stood up, took it out of the box and set it on the couch. She plugged in the adapter and handed her mom the remote.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Emily asked.

"It controls the intensity and speed of the vibrations. Turn in on."

She did and immediately the vibration went from the neck to the small of the back to the butt then the thighs. When it reached the seat area she jumped, screamed then cackled so loud Cameron winced.

"Oh! I like th...SSSSSSSSSSSS!" She screamed as it went from the thighs to the butt area again. Her contagious laugh and cackle at every butt vibration sent everyone in a laughing frenzy. Emily had tears running down her face from laughing and held her sides. It took five minutes of continuous cackling and laughing for her to calm down and had everyone else in tears, too.

"How do I turn it off? Not that I want to!" She said then started laughing again. "Ohhh...oh...that was too much! I better not use that while I drive or I'll hit something!" She said then everyone burst out laughing again.

"MOTHER!" Cameron said louder than she meant to and everyone laughed again.

"Ok, ok. Open your gifts, you two." She said as she wiped away the final tear from her laughter-to-tears cry.

Cameron opened her gift to find a cross necklace with a diamond at the intersection of the cross. "That .75 carat diamond is from the mine we found in New Mexico this summer! Your father found that on his own. It's value is $250!"

"It's beautiful, Dad, Mom. Thank you." Cameron said as she put the necklace around her neck. But Chase noticed Cameron wasn't all that excited; not angry, but not totally thrilled with the gift, either.

Chase opened his gift to find a beautiful crewel knitted sweater. "We got that in Arizona. We had to call Al to find out what size you wore." Emily told him.

"This is beautiful, really. Thank you very much." Chase said sincerely.

The four ate their dessert and got more acquainted. Cameron could tell by the way her father showed Chase his gun collection that he really liked Chase. And she was relieved. He wasn't the overprotective type, but he had his little tests he'd given her boyfriends in high school and college. And it seemed Chase passed with flying colors. The two ladies were sitting in the kitchen, talking quietly so the men couldn't hear them.

"So, Al, tell me...how are things with you and Robert?"

She smiled brightly and said, "Great, mom, really."

"What about that House character? Has he been behaving himself?" Emily said with a chuckle.

"Yeah, he really has. He proposed to his girl, Melissa, tonight before they came over to James and Sarah's." She said rather sadly.

"Oh, honey. I know how you felt about him. I'm sorry."

Cameron nodded her head then said, "But it's ok. I'm very happy for them. Actually, House's attitude has changed. He has his days, but don't we all. Melissa is a great girl...great girl for House, actually."

"But wasn't Melissa the one that dumped that boy at the alter in England? I just can't believe she did that."

"Mom, I think everyone knew they had feelings for the other before even _they_ did! And Rog was o..."

"Are you girls talking about us boys?" Barry teased as he and Chase came back into the room.

"Yes, honey. She was asking for advice and I told her we'd need a week just to talk about it." Emily said with a laugh.

They stayed another 30 minutes before Cameron said how tired she'd gotten and promised her parents she'd be by for New Year's Eve. They always had a big party at her parents' house that was the event of the winter.

"Allison, did you like the necklace?" Chase asked as they headed back to her apartment.

"Yeah. It's pretty." She said with hardly any emotion. Chase decided to change the subject.

"So, what were you and your Mom _really_ talking about, Allison?" Chase asked Cameron as they headed back to her apartment.

"Sex, Chase." Cameron said seriously then laughed.

"Do you think it'd be okay to bring Rog with us for the New Year's party? He's been fairly quiet the past few weeks. I think he needs some cheering up." He asked her.

"Of course, I know he'd have a good time. My parents' friends are a blast. Chase?" She asked as she paused a moment.

"Al?" Chase said with a teasing grin.

"Have I told you lately I love you?"

"Uh, no, you haven't. Not since the last time I made you squeal like a girl." He said playfully.

"Robert, dearest, that's because you were pulling my hair." She shot back and they both laughed.

"I love you too, Allison."

When they got home they went directly to the bedroom, threw off their clothes and jumped into bed. They made love that night with no abandonment or inhibitions until they fell asleep in each other's arms, their bodies entwined, with the blankets half on them and half on the floor.

---Rog drove back to his apartment alone. Well, he was greeted by Chester, his 2 year-old cockatiel he'd bought last month. He'd always wanted one, and since he was paid so well by the hospital he decided to splurge. He closed the door behind him and said hello to Chester. He cawed and squawked a 'welcome home, dad.' He grabbed a handful of bird food and poured some into the bowl in the cage. His hand got twisted in the swinging bar and it scared the bird. He started pitching a fit, Rog got freaked and ended up spilling the bowl of seeds onto the carpet, cursing himself out loud.

After he was done vacuuming the seeds up he turned on the stereo that had played carols 24/7 since Thanksgiving, lit the Christmas tree and sat down in the chair with his vodka and OJ. The song on the radio was White Christmas, and since he'd moved to Jersey from D.C. he'd been real homesick for home, especially this season because it had snowed in D.C. but not in N.J.

Rebecca had crossed his mind more than once that night, especially since the sweater he wore to Wilson's was one she bought for him a few years ago for his birthday. He thought he'd give her a call, even though it was 9:30, but she was always a night owl.

"Hi. Is Becka home?" He asked as her roommate answered.

"Yeah..." She said then he heard laughter and music in the background then a loud "REBECCA!"

A second later came "Hello?" with a sweet, melodic voice that made Rog close his eyes as the memories of her came flooding back to him: her shoulder length, soft, dirty blonde wavy hair, her fair complexion, her rosy cheeks and her red-wine natural colored lips that he'd kissed more than once. They grew up together basically since elementary school and had always been very close. Neither one of them really 'got together' or dated in high school, but drifted apart when they both went to different

colleges. But she'd always been in the back of his mind.

"Becka, it's Rog." He said hesitantly. "Have I caught you at a bad time?"

"No! No! Hold on! Let me run upstairs so I can hear you. Hold on..." The laughter and music slowly faded away until he heard a door close and could hear nothing in the background. "Rog! How are you!"

"I'm doing good. How 'bout yourself?"

"Doing great. I needed a break from these losers." She said then laughed.

"Oh, you're not having a good time?" He asked.

"Heck no! These are Sheryl's friends. I just couldn't come up with an excuse not to be here. We got four inches of snow last night. Did you get any?"

"No, it just started raining and it's not gonna change to snow. I miss snow for Christmas."

"Well, then, get your butt down here! I have off 'til Jan 5th. Why don't you come? I'd love to see you. We have the baby panda they finally let out in the habitat so everyone can see him. They're giving out tickets, though, want me to get two?"

"Actually, Becka, I don't trust my car on a long distance trip, especially not during a holiday with all the traffic. But why don't you and Billy come here? You two can stay with me." Rog said, hoping against hope they'd broken up.

"Huh? Wait, I don't think tha..Billy and I aren't together anymore, not for a year now."

Rog did a silent 'yes' then said, "No, I've got two bedrooms. I've just been thinking about you and I'd love to show you around the area. Well, really, there is nothing to see, but it would just be good to see you." He said as he laughed.

"Let me check a few things. I can call you tomorrow. Can I have your number?" She asked.

He rattled off his number then told him what he'd been up to the past two years since he left D.C. He did leave little details out of being dumped at the alter but did mention he was once engaged. He figured if she really wanted to know he'd tell her, but he wouldn't volunteer the information. They chatted for about 30 minutes and she promised she call the next day, Christmas Eve.

They hung up and Rog finished his drink, then covered Chester and went to bed. His thoughts kept going from counting sheep, to counting Becka's face flying by to memories of their childhood adventures. He didn't want to get his hopes up, but he had always been a fighter, for things that really mattered, anyway.

---Back at House's apartment, Melissa just asked House what he was planning on doing about meeting up with Stacy and Charnie.

"Why don't we go to lunch?" House suggested.

"Sure, that'd be fine. I've got one little errand to run anyway, so I can do that while you two eat."

"No, Melissa, I meant you come with me." He specified.

Melissa looked shocked then relieved. "You're okay with that? I do have one phone call to make to see if I can do it after lunch." She said rather quickly, hoping he didn't notice her anxiousness.

House nodded his head and she jumped up and ran to the bedroom, closing the door. He sat there not really sure why he said she could come. He wanted her to come and meet Stacy, but maybe that was a bad idea. It would be tough enough to see Stacy, much less an ex with his baby with his fiancé. He sat up, grabbed some food for Steve and dropped it into his cage.

"How do I get myself in these messes, Steve?" House said as he shook his head.

Melissa came back into the room and sat next to House on the arm chair. "Ok! It's set. Are you sure?" She asked one more time.

"Yes." He simply said.

"Absolutely sure?"

"Yesss." He answered impatiently.

"Absolut-a-toodly?" She said with a giggle.

"If you ask me one more time I'll say no. Keep it up! Come on! I dare ya." He said seriously, but she knew he was joking.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm just nervous, I guess." She said as she slid down onto his left knee and threw her legs over his thighs to the other arm rest, making sure not to touch his leg.

"Babe, how's your leg been? You haven't said much about it."

"It's been killing me, but I haven't gone back to taking as much as I was."

"And you're not taking the Thorazine anymore?" That was one question she'd been avoiding to ask him, and she didn't want to ask now, it being Christmas, but it had to come out eventually. Things had been so good between them she didn't want the bottom to fall out. And it always did for her.

He shook his head. "Ok, aren't you ready for bed, yet? I'm exhausted." She asked because she had a few things to do around the house and tomorrow was a busy day for them.

"I'll be in bed in a few. Why don't you wear that lavender nightie I bought you for your birthday?" He said with a devious grin on his face.

"With or without the matching panties?" She asked, just as deviously.

"Um, wow, let me think um, wow. Decisions, decisions. You know, I just don't kn..."

"Shut up, Greg. I know the answer to that." She said with a smile and kissed him.

"I love you, baby." She said as she slid off his lap and headed for the bedroom.

House waited a few minutes to make sure she'd have enough time to be in bed then he stood up, went to a kitchen cabinet, pulled out a few pans, reached in the back and pulled out a vial labeled Thorazine and syringe. He injected the needle into the vial, pulled the plunger back then removed the needle. He flicked it a few times to get the air bubbles out then he injected it directly into his right leg. Then a smile slowly spread across his face.

What House didn't know was that for the first time a few days earlier Cuddy had given Melissa a vial with the same color liquid as the Thorazine. It was harmless if administered. It took her just a couple of days to find where he was stashing it. And when she switched vials it broke her heart. She felt like she was betraying him by being sneaky about it, but she did it for his own good; even though she knew about Stacy's decision to remove the dead tissue from his leg. She'd made up her mind that after the holidays she would tell him because she couldn't live with the guilt anymore. She lay in bed more than once justifying it to herself but it never worked. To her, there was no excuse.

---Melissa was the first to wake and she laid in bed thinking about all the stuff she had to do that day to get ready for Christmas Day. To her surprise she wasn't super anxious about meeting Stacy. Stacy lost her husband, yes. Stacy had his baby, yes. But now that Mark was gone, would she want him back? Did that really matter now that House proposed to her? No, it didn't, really. But, did it?

A little bit later, Melissa stepped out of the shower and coughed deeply as House was just finishing shaving his beard to an acceptable stubble level. He turned to look at her and said, "Nice view." with an evil grin.

"Well, I was waitin' for ya to come in but you didn't. Don't you ever shower?" She asked him as she toweled off and put on a slip dress.

"I did, while you were sleeping."

"But you were asleep when I woke up."

"I went back to bed." He told her.

"Man, having a conversation with you is like having a conversation with yourself in a room that echoes. You know something is being said, but you're not quite sure what." She said with a laugh as she walked to him.

"How did you know that's the quote in my high school yearbook?" He teased as Melissa reached out for the washcloth and dabbed the remaining shaving cream off his face. She looked up at him lovingly as she placed the washcloth back in the sink. She slid her arm around his waist and leaned her head against him, looking in the mirror.

"You know what? You make me look good, Missy."

"Nah, you make me look more beautilous than I already am." She said teasingly as they both laughed.

"Is that really a word? Beautilous?"

"No, I made it up. It's a better word for beautiful and fabulous."

"I thought so." He said as he leaned his head down and kissed her.

"You sure you want to do this?" He asked her.

"Yes, I love kissing you; the way you softly squeeze my bottom lip with your lips, it makes me melt."

"No, I mean meeting Stacy and seeing Charnie."

Melissa sighed then said, "I know what you meant. I just didn't want to waste this beautilous moment on that. Hey, can I have a Vicodin before we go?" She teased.

"I don't think so. Don't forget to take your meds this morning." He said as he kissed her forehead and she broke out in a fitful, chesty cough.

"You feeling ok, babe? You feel a little hot."

"That's what you told me the other night." She teased. "I'm fine. It's just the stress from the Holidays."

When they were finished dressing House dialed Stacy's number as Melissa got the living room straightened up a little, even though she was listening intently on the conversation. He never mentioned bringing 'his fiancé,' but she shrugged it off. Her tension eased a bit when he finally hung up the phone.

"Ok, we're meeting them at La Quartro's at 12:30. We still have an hour. Wanna fool around?" He asked.

"You blew your chance, buddy! You could have woken me up after you _say_ you woke up first." She teased back.

House and Melissa were seated in the restaurant at 12:25 waiting for Stacy and the baby. The nervousness set in for her the longer they waited and the longer they waited, the more House grew nervous, too.

"It's not like her to be late, she's always on time." He said as he sipped his scotch as soon as the waiter brought another one.

They sat and munched on appetizers for another 15 minutes when House's cell phone rang. "House...wha? Shit...we'll be right there." He said as he stood up, grabbed his coat, giving Melissa the hint to do it as well, laid money on the table and reached out for her to escort them out.

"What is it, Greg?" She asked urgently.

"They've been in a car accident. They're at the hospital."

Twenty minutes later they arrived in the E.R. and were met by Wilson, who had called House from the hospital.

"Where are they, Wilson?" House asked urgently as Melissa stayed back out of House's way. She saw Sarah down the hall holding a 7-month old and Charlie was sitting by her side, playing with the baby making faces to get her to smile. She decided it'd be best to leave House with Wilson and met up with Sarah.

"Greg, she didn't make it. The trauma was too sev..." Wilson started to say.

"WHERE IS SHE?" He insisted loudly just as Dr. Cypher stepped out of the E.R. room.

"Dr. House, we did everything we could. She had massive injuries from the impact and lost a lot of blood. Luckily, Charnie was untouched. You can go see her now, but I warn..." Dr. Cypher said but House walked straight into the room without letting her finish speaking.

He took only three steps and stopped mid-step at what he saw before him: Stacy was lying on the exam table still hooked up to monitors, her hair tangled and bloodied and her face smeared black with splotches of blood. The sheet that covered her to her neck was covered heavily with blood and on the floor were small puddles of blood. Even in that condition, he half expected her to sit up and say, "April Fools!"

When he got the courage to approach her, he slowly limped forward. Her hand was barely peeking out from under the sheet and it was fairly clean. He reached out and lightly brushed his knuckles against the back of her hand. He was afraid of feeling her cold hand, but it was still slightly warm to the touch. He reached his fingers under her palm and clasped her hand around his. With his right hand he reached for her face and wiped the strands of hair from her face as he fought back tears. With the back of his fingers he brushed them against her cheek, and every muscle, every part of his being cried out to her.

"Sta...ace...oh, goddd." He cried as he laid his head on her chest. And wept, from his gut. He cried harder than he thought he ever could for someone he once loved. He could feel his heart shred into a million pieces. It was the same the day he cried at his sister's funeral, but this was different. The one woman that he'd loved-the first woman he abandoned his soul and heart to-was gone. He stayed by Stacy's side for a few more minutes before he felt a hand on his shoulder. House roughly pulled it away and continued to cry.

"Greg, it's time to go." Wilson said softly behind House.

"Nono. She..g... sigh to be cleannneed uppp."

"Someone else can do that. She'll be fine."

House's head shot around and glared at Wilson. "I WILL NOT LEAVE HER LIKE THIS." He said indigently. Wilson stepped back but stayed in the room.

House slowly pulled back the sheet over her chest and stared up at the ceiling. Wilson could see his shoulders shutter as he fought back more tears. House gently removed the pads of electrodes that were on her chest and stomach. The scene was too much for Wilson to bare so he left the room. He was met in the hall by Sarah, who immediately threw out her arms and Wilson fell into her and hugged her tight, but he didn't cry.

"I'm soo sorry, James. I know you two were close." Sarah said as she hugged him back. Wilson glanced down the hall where he saw Melissa holding little Charnie and Charlie was still playing with her.

"What's going to happen to that little girl? Stacy's parents are gone and there's no one left in her family." Wilson asked.

"James, House'll know what to do." She said reassuringly as she led him down the hall.

"Daddy, Sharnee smile at me! She waffed, too!" Charlie said as he ran toward the two of them before they sat down.

"Hey, Charlie. Want to go get a soda?" Sarah asked as she stood up and reached for little Charnie in Melissa's arms. He flashed a huge smile and followed her around a corner.

"James, how's Greg handling it?" Melissa asked as Charlie's giggled echoes died down.

"He's taking it hard, harder than I thought actually. I've never seen him like that." Wilson said as he stared at the wall opposite them. "He's cleaning her up now."

Melissa nodded her head. She wondered to herself if she should mention House being the father but she decided against it. She knew Wilson was House's only closest friend and knew him better than anyone, but she didn't want to take the chance. Besides, she still didn't know what House was going to do about little Charnie. She looked toward the room Stacy was in and after a few minutes saw House walk out. Even from that distance, she could see his slumped shoulders and his chin lowered to his chest. He slowly limped to the wall and leaned his back against it, then slid down, burying his face in his hands. Melissa's heart broke seeing him in that much pain. She'd seen him in physical pain but not mental pain.

"Go to him, Missy. He'll need you." Wilson said as he stood up and looked down at her. "I'll go find the kids." He softly patted her shoulder and walked around the corner. She sat thinking what she was going to say, and decided she had no idea. She took a deep breath then started to cough. She said a little prayer as she stood up and walked toward House.

As she got closer to him, she could hear soft cries coming from behind his hands. She could see his stomach tense with sobs and knelt down in front of him. She was afraid to touch him in case she startled him, but he must have sensed she was there and uncovered his face. He wiped his palms on his knees but didn't look at her. When he finally did look at her she had to fight back her own tears at seeing his eyes red, swollen, his face splotchy with the sting of tears down his face.

"Oh, baby. I am so sorry." Was all she could say. He leaned forward and collapsed in her arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and just held him. That was all she could do. She gently rocked him to calm him down until he was over the emotional shock of what he'd just seen.

_THREE DAYS LATER_

After the funeral of Mrs. Stacy Warner, everyone went back to Wilson and Sarah's house. It was two days after Christmas and the holiday spirit seemed to escape everyone who had attended the funeral. That day was the first official day that little Charnie would be living with his father and her soon to be stepmother. House and Melissa had spent hours discussing what House wanted and what they had to do to the apartment to get 'baby-proofed', get the spare bedroom ready for her and other things.

For the day-care arrangements, Sarah would watch little Charnie while they both worked, which was perfect because Charlie treated her like his own little sister, and had even asked Santa for a brother or sister for Christmas. They both had picked up all of Stacy's belongings after they left the hospital Christmas Eve, while Wilson and Sarah took little Charnie in until after the funeral. Everything just fell into place.

There were friends of hers from high school, associates she had worked with and a few family friends. Charlie was in the corner playing with little Charnie as she played on a blanket in the corner of the room. House was exceptionally quiet as he sat on the couch trying to look like he wanted to be there. Melissa and Cuddy were helping Sarah with the food as Foreman and Nancy were chatting with a couple in the hallway.

"I called Rog last night. He told me his friend from D.C. had just arrived. He had already made reservations for a play at the pavilion so he couldn't make it today. But he wanted me to give you his best regards." Cameron told him as she sat down next to him and handed him a coffee cup. He nodded his head to acknowledge he'd heard her, but didn't say anything else.

"Apparently they grew up together. I'd love to meet her." She said, trying to get House's attention. "House, are you okay?"

"My ex-wife just died and now I'm an instant father. No, I'm not." He snapped. She was taken aback by his abruptness, and the fact that he said 'ex-wife.'

"Greg, Sheila, Charnie's godmother, has shown an interest in adopting her, if it is such a burden on you. That's what godparents do." She told him, not meaning to sound sarcastic but it came out that way. He gave her a dirty look, shook his head, stood up and walked to the back rec room and stepped outside in the cold, windy, winter day. He stood there a moment with his eyes closed, leaning against the brick siding and breathed in deeply.

"Baby, you ready to go home?" Melissa asked after she'd seen him walk outside from the kitchen window. He didn't move or say anything to her at first then he looked into her eyes.

"Have you eaten?" He asked her. She shook her head. "Eat first then we'll leave."

"We've got food at home, even that left over pasta from last night. Or we can get Chinese."

"I'm _not_ hungry." He snapped, and was instantly sorry it came out the way it did. He softened his voice and said, "Let's go." Melissa ignored his outburst because she was used to them.

Melissa went to gather little Charnie's things and the few clothes from Sarah, handed the bag to House and picked up little Charnie. They said their goodbyes and headed home, as a family, sort of. Little Charnie was sitting in the back seat with Melissa, who kept her eyes on House's at the rear view mirror as he drove. She didn't push him to talk, but she could see his cheeks rise with a smile when he caught her staring at him. Melissa talked with little Charnie occasionally and they'd both giggle. Melissa was surprised at how easy-going the baby was. She was a very happy, sweet little girl, and quite possibly the cutest baby she'd ever seen. Her face was round with light complexion, big, blue eyes, rosy cheeks and her light brown, wavy hair was just short of being able to wear in a ponytail.

After House parked the car in the garage, he got out and went straight into the apartment. Melissa was about to holler for help but little Charnie was getting cranky because it was time for her nap. So she unbuckled her out of the seat restraint, grabbed the bag as she held the baby and walked though the door into the kitchen. She could sense House wanted to be left alone so she went straight into the spare bedroom and closed the door behind her.

She changed Charnie's clothes and set her down on the low-lying inflatable bed they borrowed from Wilson and set along the sides of it long cushions. She grabbed a book she'd also borrowed, sat down beside her and read a few pages, which was all it took for the baby to fall asleep. She covered her up and walked out the door, leaving just a crack open so they could hear her when she woke up.

She walked into the kitchen as she hollered out, "Greg, do you want some coffee?" There was no response from the living room so she poured him a cup anyway and took it to him. She found him sitting in the recliner just staring off into space. She set the cup down on the table next to him and sat down across from him, watching him.

After a few minutes he said, without a smile, "Is there snot running down my nose, or what?"

"No, but I think you are being one." She answered back. His eyes shot at her but he didn't say anything. "Babe, I know you are hurting, but you can't just ignore your daughter like she's not even here."

"And what do _you_ know about children?"

"Whoa, there's no reason why you have to attack me, Greg. Well, I've got to get the rest of the stuff out of the car." She said as she stood up and walked to the kitchen toward the door. She wasn't angry at House; she just didn't know why he was shutting down on her. It was fine when it was just them, but now with Charnie added in the household it was a whole different ballgame.

But she was up for the challenge. All the crap she'd been through probably prepared her for the road ahead. She, at 21, was a confident, strong-willed and stubborn woman with a lot of compassion and strength. But she could only be pushed so far. And as of yet, she and House hadn't really been tested, well, not until now. _'Batters up!'_ She thought to herself as she walked back through the kitchen.

House was standing in front of the refrigerator looking in to find something to eat; but his appetite was completely gone and he slammed the door hard, which made a loud clash of glass banging around inside. He looked up at Melissa like he'd done nothing wrong. She just smiled at him with a 'ho-hum' expression. He turned around, walked into the living, grabbed his coat and started to walk out.

"Hey, where ya goin'?" Melissa asked, trying not to sound so domineering.

"Out." He simply said. She shook her head and let him go. If there was one thing she'd learned about House, it was when to just let him go or just stay out of his way. And today, sadly, was one of those days, and it was only 3:00 pm.

---Hours later, Melissa had fallen asleep on the couch after she put Charnie to bed for the night. After the baby woke up from her nap, she'd fed her and at first wasn't too worried about where House was. Melissa did several things to entertain the baby in her father's absence: they went on a walk; they danced around the living room; played piano; and played with her toys until Melissa got pooped out and crashed on the couch to watch a kid video before putting the baby to bed. But by 8:00, she was starting to worry. She'd put in a movie to watch to distract herself but she wasn't even paying attention to it. But shortly after that the exhaustion settled in and she'd fallen asleep.

It was close to 9:30 pm when he walked into the living room toward the recliner. Actually, it was more like stumbled to the recliner and almost missed the chair completely as he sat down. He sat with such force the front two legs came up about two inches before it crashed back down onto the hardwood floor. The sudden, loud bang startled Melissa but luckily the noise hadn't woken up Charnie in the other room.

"Wutchaduinnn?" House stuttered then broke out in a loud laugh.

Melissa gave him a dirty, nasty look that shut him up real quick as she stood up, walked into the kitchen, poured a cup of coffee and walked back into the living room and sat down.

"Wheresmyahcoffeeee?" House asked, slurring his words, looking like he was going to pass out at any moment.

"In the kitchen, check the pot."

"Eeew, yore innnn a snippy mood." He said, making the 'snippy' more of a 'snephffeee.'

"Go to bed, Greg."

"oooohhh. Dunt tellll me your mah-had." He said with a hiccup.

"Ok, then I'll go to bed." She said as she stood up and walked toward the bedroom and slammed the door behind her, purposefully, which woke Charnie up. She thought about going to get her, but it took all the willpower she had not to. She'd also spent an hour on the phone with Cuddy, who really knew him, and told her House would come around on his own pace.

She stood at the door with her ear against it listening into the living room. When the baby's cry grew louder, which meant he had opened the door a few minutes later, she quietly cracked open the door to watch him. The baby cried louder and harder when House went in, and a moment later he came out of the bedroom with the baby stretched out in his hands, balling. He was awkward holding her, almost like she was a stinky, old piece of meat he was throwing away.

'_No! The diaper! Oh, this outta be _good_!'_ She thought to herself as she grinned wickedly.

She watched as he put a blanket on the floor clumsily, trying to get it straight without dropping her. He'd sway every once in a while and a few times her heart stopped because she thought he would drop her, but he never did. He got the clean diaper and powder, expertly changed it and lovingly sprinkled powder on her little bottom. For some reason at that point she seemed to stop crying and giggled. And in two seconds flat he had the clean diaper on, stinky one in the trash, and walked over to the stereo.

Melissa shook her head in amazement at what she was seeing. He turned on the stereo and started to hum with the melody as she lay against his chest, his arms around her lovingly. Then he'd start to gently sway back and forth, as if they were ballroom dancing.

After Charnie fell asleep in his arms, he walked over to the couch and slowly sat down with her over his heart. He softly rubbed and smelled her baby soft hair, and smiled as he put his head against the back cushion. A few minutes later Melissa heard him snore and saw his left arm fall to the middle seat cushion, so she slowly opened the bedroom door, walked into the living room, bent down to pick up the baby without waking House, and carried her into her own bedroom. She gently laid her down on her bed, turned on the sound monitor and closed the door behind her. She walked back to the couch and covered him with a blanket.

"Hmmph." He muttered, but didn't open his eyes.

She stood there and looked at him, not sure whether she should wake him up or not. She decided against it and just let him sleep where he was. She went into their bedroom, leaving the door open, changed into her sweats and t-shirt and crawled into bed.

She thought of the scene she'd just witnessed and it touched her heart. She had wanted to go out while he was with the baby, but she had to teach him a lesson by not letting him know she was watching him and let him handle the baby himself. But, in reality, he had just taught _her_ a lesson. Not really a lesson, but an insight to her future husband: another depth of his character, his heart, his soul. And she knew he would be okay, whether he knew it or not.

Melissa woke up the next morning on her back on her side of the bed and she turned to see if House joined her during the night. Instead she found little Charnie asleep, lying between her and House, who was awake and gave her a groggy, major hangover smile.

"Hey." He said in his deep, sexy, sleepy voice she loved to hear.

"When did you two get here?"

"She woke up me up at 3am 'cuz she was hungry. So I fed her, changed her and brought her in here."

She turned to see what time it was and she had an hour to get ready for work. She sat up quickly while trying not to wake Charnie. She slid out of bed and went to the bathroom, where he joined her as she flushed the toilet and stood up.

"Melissa, sit down." He said as he sat on the side of the tub. She felt her stomach knot but sat back down on the seat cover.

"I want to apologize for last night." He said, waiting for a reply from her but she said nothing. "Okay, I know I was wrong. And I'm paying for it now. Believe me."

"Good." She said.

"We can do this, you know."

"Oh, I know I can. But the question is, can you?" She asked.

"Girl, can't you give a cripple a break?" He said, trying to be charming.

"Sure. Find me one and I will. But I don't see one at the moment." She shot back. "Look, I've got to get ready for work. Are you going to drop Charnie off at Sarah's?" She asked as she stood up.

"Melissa, I'm not done." He said.

"Yes, you are, for now. We can talk tonight, promise." She said as she bent down, put her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. "Well? You are going to work, right?" She asked as she turned the water on in the shower and smacked her hip against his shoulder to get him to move.

"Yes, babe. I'll drop her off. I don't have to be in until noon." He said as he stood up and watched her undress. She immediately got into the shower and closed the curtain behind her. She put her head under the streaming water and noticed his face peeking at the end of the curtain.

"GO! You dirty old man!" She said with a giggle.

"Hey! I resent that!"

"Well, you are dirty, right?" She asked.

"Yeah."

"And you are old, right?"

He hesitated a moment. "Yeah."

"So, that would make you a dirty old man! Now get in there with Charnie so she doesn't roll off the bed." She ordered as she stepped toward him and kissed him again. But she also splashed water in his face which made him scream and jump back from the curtain.

"I l-u-u-v you, babe!" She sang as she continued her shower.

"I do too!" He said back as he walked back into their bedroom.

And for the first time in a long time, if ever, he was happy. He felt like the Grinch when Whooville accepted him into their village. And for once, everything fit. Melissa, Charnie, Stacy. Oh, Stacy. Her death would take a while to heal, but he had what he loved the most with him now, and they would help him heal.

House walked into the lobby of PPTH with a smile on his face and a bounce in his walking limp. He looked into Cuddy's office but she wasn't there, thank goodness, but Melissa was. She didn't see him walk in because she was buried under papers on her desk.

'_I can get away with a couple of hours of no clinic duty if Cuddy doesn't see me.'_ He thought to himself as he pressed the button to the elevator. When the door opened, Cuddy stood there with an 'I gotcha' look on her face. House squished his nose and rolled his eyes as she took a few steps out.

"Where do you think you are going, Dr. House?" She said as the door closed behind her.

"I was going to my office but you blocked my way. Actually, blinded me with your view is more like it." He said as he looked at her low-cut blouse. After he hesitated a moment he said, "And you are still blocking my way."

"I know because you have to go the other way. Get a file and do your job." She said as she escorted him to the reception desk. "It's de'ja'vu all over again, isn't it?" She asked as she grabbed a folder, handed it to him with a smirk on her face then walked to her office.

'_Okay, I can handle this.'_ He said to himself as he walked into exam room #2.

A woman in her late 70's was sitting on the table holding her hand over her chest gasping for breath. "I'm Dr. House." He said as he walked reading her chart. He looked at her and hesitated as he saw how large of a woman she was; she weighed about 330 lbs.

"Are you having trouble breathing?" He asked as he put down her file, went to her and helped her lie down. He grabbed an oxygen mask, turned on the cylinder and placed it over her mouth. He checked her heart with the stethoscope and felt her wrist for her pulse and realized it wasn't a heart attack and she was in no immediate danger.

"Mrs. Pitt, just relax. Let me look over your chart thoroughly, ok?" He asked as he picked up her chart and read her symptoms.

'PRIOR HISTORY: 6 days ago – upper right quadrant pain; fever; nausea; confusion

PROCEDURES: standard open cholecystectomy; urinalysis – pyuria

DIAGNOSIS: cholecystitis

PRESCRIP: Oretic 25 mg; vancomycin 15 mg

FOLLOW-UP CARE: Physical therapy – to begin day 5 of recovery'

Mrs. Pitt removed the mask because her breathing had become normal. "I had….physical therapy this morning…..and when I got back….to the nursing home….my chest started…bad." She told House.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, what is the chest pain now?"

"Now, it's a 6, but at the home I'd say an 8; sharp pain that got worse with every breathe I took." She said.

"Ok, the nurse will be in for an EKG, and I want to get some blood work, as well." He told her. "I'll have her come right in." He said as he walked out and closed the door behind him.

He walked to the nurse's station and said to the nurse on duty, "Exam #2 – Get an EKG; blood CBC count, check the troponin T levels, serum electrolyte levels and renal function, stat." He told her as he grabbed another file while nurse Sanchez got the appropriate supplies and equipment then went in to see Mrs. Pitt.

The rest of the patients were typical, no-nonsense cases, just the way he liked them. Nurse Sanchez brought the EKG and blood results to House as he walked out of room of the last patient for the day. He thanked her, took the paper EKG slip and folder back to Mrs. Pitt's room.

"Well, Mrs. Pitt. The blood tests show no pneumothorax, pericarditis or pneumonia. I'm pretty sure you've had a pulmonary

embolism. I want a chest CT scan that Dr. Chase will do for you; he's the best Dr. around. In the meantime, I want the nurse to start you on an I.V. with medication. Don't worry. You didn't have a full blown heart attack. Not yet, anyway." He said rather rudely as he walked out and headed to his office.

He knew where he'd find Chase and he knew the kind of patients he liked, and Mrs. Pitt was just perfect for him. As he walked into the conference room Chase and Cameron had been giggling about something and immediately stopped when House walked in, glancing at Rog sitting at the computer.

"Hey, Brad Pitt's mother is downstairs. Get a CT scan of her chest for me. And get an autograph, too. I wanna see how much I can get from eBay." He said as Rog and Chase stood up and walked out into the hall.

House walked into his office, sat down and dialed home for Melissa. He'd been hungry for Chinese and wanted to know what she wanted. The phone rang 5-6 times and the answering machine picked up. He left a message for her to call him; if she didn't call him, he'd get Sweet & Sour Chicken, because 'you can never go wrong with that.'

He hung up and thought she might still be at Sarah's so he dialed their number. Sarah picked up right away and told him Melissa picked little Charnie up over an hour ago. House's stomach dropped to the floor when he first heard they'd already left, but maybe she went to the grocery store. He figured he would head on home.

As he stepped off the elevator, he ran in to Dr. Chase with the CT scan results. He didn't say a word but gave House a nasty look before he walked away. House looked over the scan and there was no aortic dissection and it was indeed acute PE. He instructed the nurse what to tell Mrs. Pitt as he quickly left the hospital for the night. He drove home a bit faster and careless than he normally did, but he still hadn't heard from Melissa. He pulled into the garage, closed the garage door and ran into the house.

"Melissa! Where are you? I called you earlier and…MELISSA! Answer me!" He screamed as he went from room to room as fast as his crippled leg would let him.

There, in the hallway by the front door, were Melissa and little Charnie sitting against the wall and at their feet was a jet black, wavy haired, four-legged creature with eyes as big as golf balls that made a mad dash yelping toward House's feet. It nipped at his sneakers then yelped when House gently kicked it away.

"Gregory! Don't! You'll hurt Snookums!" Melissa yelled as she stood up to pick up the 9-week old puppy.

"Woman! Have you done lost your mind?"

"Yes, I have! I said I'd marry you!" She said with a grin then kissed him. "I was supposed to get her Christmas Eve and I was going to surprise you but…getting her got pushed back a few days." She finally stuttered because she couldn't find the right words to say, 'Stacy's death.' He was still pretty upset after the funeral; he'd been moping around and had hardly eating anything.

Melissa set Snookums down and turned to pick up little Charnie, brought her to her daddy and handed her to him. She giggled in his arms and leaned over his elbow to talk to Snookums, who was jumping at his feet to get to her big sister.

"Where are _you_ going?" House snapped as he turned around to watch Melissa go down the hall.

"I've got to make dinner. She'll be ready for her bath after we eat. Do you wanna do it?" She said trying not to giggle as she did.

"Uh, now, wait on one second, Missy." House said but she could tell by his tone that he was playing, sort of.

"Darlin', you were the one that asked me what I knew about babies, right? Besides, you were sooo sweet with her last night." She said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Ah, you were the one that got her. I panicked when I didn't find her on the couch when I woke up. Babe, I'm really sorry." He said as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him. She smiled at him.

"I know you are hurting. It's ok. Just don't do it again...well, you can, but I wanna get drunk with you and we'll leave her at a babysitter's." She said as she kissed him.

He took little Charnie into the living room and played with her while Melissa made dinner. When she finally put the tray in the

oven she washed her hands and joined them.

"We are _not_ calling this thing Snookums!" He objected.

"Oh, and what do you want to call her? Elvis?"

"HEY! That's not a bad..."

"You most certainly will _not_ call her Elvis!" She said then laughed. The puppy had little Charnie on her back and was jumping on her tummy and nipping at her fingers, but she wasn't hurting her.

"What about John Wayne?" He asked excitedly.

"Greg! Come on!" She said laughing. "What about Mae West?"

"Nah. Ok, if you don't like John Wayne, what about Wayni?"

She thought it over for a minute. "Hmm. I'm not sure. Wayni? Come here Wayni!" Melissa called as she snapped her fingers and tapped her knee. The puppy came straight for her and nipped at her fingers.

"Wayni, it is!" She exclaimed. "I hope you like tater tots. I didn't have any fries to go with the chicken." She said as she stood up to go back in the kitchen.

"HEY! We can call Charnie C.T., for Charnie Tot!" House said as he stood up, picked the baby up and followed Melissa into the kitchen.

"Hmm. I don't know. C.T.! Come here, girl!" Melissa said as she snapped her fingers and tapped her knee. Wayni came running into the kitchen, tried to stop but slid about five feet on the tile floor, which made the baby giggle. "Ok, C.T. it is, little lady!" Melissa said as she walked toward them and pinched the baby's cheek.

"Missy, you are so good with her." He told her as he tried to set C.T. in the high chair, but was having a difficult time.

"No, no. This is how you do it." She said as she unsnapped the tray, he placed the baby in the seat and Melissa snapped the tray back in place. "There. You tie this around her neck, see, like this." She said playfully, exaggerating her movements as she placed the bib around her neck and tied it.

"Oh, you are sooo funny, Missy!" House laughed as he grabbed Melissa and wrapped her in his arms.

"I know. I have to have a sense of humor, buddy." She said as she kissed him.

After they ate, they filled the jacuzzi tub with lukewarm water so the three could bathe together. And they all three had a great time. C.T. was splashing the water with her little hands after her daddy taught her how to do it, and the giggles she let loose made them burst out laughing, too. Little Wayni was barking right by the tub because she seemed to sense she was missing out on some great fun.

When the water got cold and they were done bathing the baby, they dried off and Melissa made House change the baby's diaper and put on her night clothes. He had a terrible time at first because he was afraid to bend her arm the wrong way getting it into the tiny sleeve. But he managed. When he was done, he picked her up and held her to his chest, smelling her clean, soft hair.

"Greg, you'll make a great father, you know that?" Melissa asked as she watched the two before he placed the baby on the bed. "Uh, dear, I don't want her to get in the habit of sleeping in between us. Cuddy has you during the day, C.T. has you before she goes to bed, and I want you after she goes to bed."

House quickly picked up the baby, walked her to her room, laid her on her bed, patted her back for a few minutes until she fell asleep, and walked back into their bedroom.

"Ok, fine. I'm all yours now, babe. Do with me what you will." House said as he stared at her at the end of the bed, for she'd taken off her clothes and was just about to get into bed. She grinned at him wickedly and patted the covers next to her. Wayni

thought this was a clue for her to get into the bed and tried as she might, she was never able to jump up onto the bed.

"No, you hairy beast! She's mine! All mine!" He said as he tore off his clothes and jumped into bed with Melissa, both of them laughing, until he threw himself on top of her and they made love.

---Chase and Cameron were spending a quiet evening at Cameron's, as usual. They were sitting on the couch while she was showing him some old family photos since he'd met her parents, and the brother from hell, Doug.

"Robert, can I ask you something?" He nodded his head. "Why did you leave the seminary? And what made you go there in the first place?" Cameron asked. Chase sat back thoughtfully for a moment as if he wasn't sure he wanted to divulge the information.

"I dunno. Ever since I was a kid I wanted to. At first I really enjoyed it." He sat quiet for a moment.

"What happened to make you dislike it? Or was it specifically the nuns?"

Again, he hesitated. "No, it had nothing to do with them. I guess it was after Mom died I lost the faith. I tried really hard to understand why God took her the way he did. I was 14 when she died, so for a long time I was angry with God. And the nuns were no help; they didn't help make any sense of it. After a few months I just grew tired of the whole façade and left."

"What did she die of?" She asked.

"Heart attack, at 42." He answered solemnly.

"That is young. Was there an underlying cause, or history in your family?"

"No, not that I'm aware of." He shrugged it off. "It doesn't matter. But what really bothered me was as I got older I saw all the hypocrisy of the Church and was very disillusioned. Allison, is that why you don't believe, either?"

"No, but I went through the anger stage myself. I guess that's where I started to lose the faith." She told him.

"Seeing my husband die like that, it was tough."

"Tough for him or tough for you?"

"Wow, that was cold." She snapped.

"I didn't mean it the way it sounded. I assume he was on medication so he wasn't in pain, but I honestly can't imagine what it was like for you. I guess I would have known if Dad had at least tol…I mean, I would have been there for him."

"Would you really have, Robert?"

He hesitated for what seemed like a long time. "Honestly, I don't know. My stepmother would have been there and that's one woman I don't want to mess with…well, are you ready for dinner? How about Mexican?"

"Nah, had a taco salad for lunch. What about Italian?" She answered.

"No, had that last night. Hey, you wanted to go to that Japanese restaurant, didn't you?"

"Yeah, that's right. Let's go there." She said as he helped her to her feet.

"What are we going to have to dessert?" He asked as he reached for their coats.

"Oh, darlin', I'll give you your just desserts later, okay?" She said with a cute, wicked grin as they walked out the door.

---Over at Rog's apartment, he and Becka just came back from a day of shopping after topping it off with dinner. They both walked into the living and collapsed on the couch, laughing at themselves.

"Rog, it's good to see you haven't changed a bit!" Becka said as she started going through the bags of stuff they bought and handed his. "I still can't believe you smacked that guy in the face with the door like that. I swear I had to fight just to keep from laughing while he was on the ground."

"Girl, he _wasn't_ on the ground! And the wind blew the door open and I lost the handle." He said, trying to defend himself. "You want a soda?"

"Sure, that'd be great. So, Rog, who have you been dating lately?" She said loudly so he could hear her from the kitchen.

"No one, really. Haven't had the time." He lied, not wanting to mention Melissa just yet, although he held no hard feelings against her.

"That's ashame, Rog. You are like the sweetest guy I know, and you're not even gay." She said with a laugh as he handed her the glass.

"What do you mean, 'I'm not even gay?'" He asked as he sat down next to her.

"What? You are gay, then?" She asked seriously.

"Hell, no!" He said, almost choking on the last sip he took.

"Then why haven't we ever gone out?"

"What are you talking about? We've gone out before, Becka, lots-a times! Where are you going with this?"

She stared at him a moment, waiting to see if he'd catch on to what she was getting to. "You mean to tell me you never picked up on the fact I had a crush on you?"

"Well, yeah, I heard you did. But it would just be weird, you know?"

"What do you mean weird?" She exclaimed, smacking the side of his arm with the back of her hand playfully.

"I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't curious, but Becka, come on! You went to the prom with Mike, not me. If you had a crush on me, why didn't you _ask_ me?"

"Because you'd already asked Susie. I was so devastated the day I heard you asked her I ate a whole half gallon of ice cream! I was sick for two days and not from the ice cream."

"Oh, you're joking."

"No, I'm not." She said seriously. "The same morning you asked her I'd finally gotten the nerve to ask you, but, I was too late. And then when I saw you two dancing together, man, that hurt."

"Wow, I don't know what to say. I mean, it's been what, 20 years?"

"Yeah, since we were kids. I guess that would make it weird, huh?" She said disappointedly.

"But, I cut in on you two dancing, Becka. Why didn't you say anything then? Couldn't you feel how fast my heart was beating? That wasn't from dancing to Janet Jackson!"

"No, because my own heart was pounding in my chest, Rog. God, this is so funny." She said with a little laugh.

"What is so funny?"

"Don't you feel like that nervous little teenager on your first date, or something?" She said not looking at him.

"Kinda, except the only difference is we're not teenagers anymore." Rog said sweetly.

He leaned toward her, put his fingertips on her neck with her cheek in his palm and kissed her. He was surprised at how sweaty his palm was against her warm cheek and closed his eyes.

In his mind's eye he was kissing the same sweet, fun, adventurous girl that was his first crush, too. His bottom lip rushed against her top lip as he softly kissed her, and felt her arm slid up his forearm to his shoulder. He heard and felt a tiny moan come from her throat and he opened his eyes and broke their kiss. Her eyes were still closed as if she were waiting for his lips again. When she didn't feel them she opened her eyes and looked at him like she'd only looked at him when he was walking away or trying to get his attention.

"Wow." Was all she could say.

"See what you've been missin'?" He asked as he laughed.

"I've had better." She said seriously then laughed so hard it got him laughing, too.

"So, what do we do now?" He asked.

She stood up, grinned down at him then said, "Last one in the bedroom has to sleep in the tub!" Laughing, she tore off into his bedroom with him in fast pursuit.

On New Year's Eve everyone gathered at Sarah and Wilson's along with friends of Sarah's. They'd brought C.T. with them because a teen from next door was going to watch both her and Charlie until after the party.

---When House and Melissa arrived, Charlie ran to the door all excited to see C.T. She was content playing with him and he was so good with her. Melissa told him she thought Charlie was a grown up in a little kid's suit, so Melissa had little to worry about that night.

She'd warned everyone she was going to get drunk and have some fun for a change. She'd actually felt good, better than she'd ever felt, despite all of the medications she was taking. She'd had a little cough but just blamed that on the weather.

---Rog brought Becka to introduce her to everyone, and he'd warned her to keep a weary eye on House. "Oh, is he a flirt?" She'd asked on the drive over.

"No, he can be a bit abrasive."

"Oh, is that all? He doesn't scare me. Whatever he can dish out I can take! Remember, I grew up with four brothers."

"Dear, I don't think that'll make a bit of difference with that man!" He'd said as he pulled into the driveway.

---Foreman came alone because Nancy was spending her new year with her family because they didn't approve of him, even though he was a doctor. They warned her that he came from the streets and he'd never change. She spent hours talking with them explaining that he has been nothing but good to her and he wasn't that same kid he was before. Her parents relented, but still kept a weary eye on their daughter.

---Cameron and Chase came together, of course, because everything had been going so well for them. She had gotten over the shock of seeing House and Melissa together, but every time they'd kiss or hug she'd feel just a 'pang' of jealousy. And it took her a while to learn to keep it to herself, especially from Chase.

--Cuddy came alone, as well, and as usual. Sarah had tried hooking her up with a friend of hers from church but that hadn't worked out. He was six inches too short for her and it made the man feel insincere. Actually, 'tiny' was the word Cuddy chose to tell Sarah about the date.

"Lisa, don't you know it's not the size of the man but th..." The two women laughed long and hard on that comment when they spoke the day after the date.

---The evening went along well, with lots of laughter, drinking and eating. The babysitter from next door came to get Charlie and C.T., and Melissa asked Charlie to keep an eye on her.

"Oh, I _will_, Aunt Mewissa! You pay me, though?"

"You betcha! We'll go to the park tomorrow, how's that?" She told him.

"HEY! Can you bring Wayni, pwease?" Melissa nodded her head with a smile and he ran off to say goodbye to House.

"Uncle Gweg! Can you come to da pok wif us tomowwow, please!" He begged as he looked up at him with his own puppy dog eyes. "I wanna see 'er!"

"Ok, fine, we'll do that. But I will not follow her around picking up the poop." He told him as he bent down and patted the top of Charlie's head.

"I do dat! Yah! Daddy! We goin' to da pok tomowwow!" Charlie said as he ran to Wilson to say goodnight.

As soon as the door closed behind the babysitter and the two kids, House made an announcement. "Ok, at the stroke of midnight, we are playing nekkid Twister! It was on the invitations, and those that don't want to join us can leave at that time."

Everyone looked at him like he was insane, except Melissa, who'd raised her glass and hollered, "I'm up for that!" then took a long swig of her cranberry juice and vodka. Now it was everyone's turn to look at Melissa like she was insane.

"Oh, come _on_, you guys! I was joking! Geez, you all need some more liquor! Hey, speaking of which, mine's empty. Show me the way!" She slurred as she walked to the bar.

"Uh, House, I hope you know she's not driving home." Wilson told him as he walked over to him. "And I hope you know we are _not_ playing nekkid twister, you dirty, ole geiser!" He said with a laugh.

"Fine, like I said before, I don't wanna play with you anyway. 'Ho's before bro's, man!'" House said as he gave Wilson a high five but he didn't raise his hand.

"You're sick, you know that?"

"Yep, and there's no other way to be!" House said proudly as he raised his glass and drained it.

"Rog! Get me a drink, will ya?" House hollered as he walked into the living room where he and Becka were sitting laughing with Chase and Cameron.

"Uh, you can't afford him, Dr. House." Becka said with authority. He glared at her and Rog shriveled into the cushion waiting for the words to fly from House's mouth.

"Oh, don't I know that! This boy breaks more equipment than we buy." House shot back.

"Oooh, you _were_ right, Rog." Becka said smartly as she turned to him. Rog's face turned a shade of red as he sunk deeper into the cushion.

"Greg! Leave him alone!" Melissa hollered as she walked toward those sitting on the couch. "I think Rog is adorable!" She slurred as she went to sit on Rog's lap. House lowered his brows at her trying to ascertain whether she was as drunk as she was acting, or was just acting drunk.

"HEY! There's 60 seconds left!" Sarah hollered as she walked around with a tray of champagne-filled flutes.

Everyone gathered around the t.v. as Dick Clark counted down the final seconds watching the lighted ball descend the tower in Times Square. Melissa had managed, with help from House, to stand as she got off Rog's lap. She lost her balance a little and fell toward House but he had a good hold of her.

"Sorry, Becka, this is the first time I've seen her drunk." House apologized, which made Rog relax a little bit.

Everyone started counting down from ten...five...four...three...two...ONE!

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!" Everyone cheered, toasted one another and gave out hugs and pecks on cheeks. Cameron turned to look at House to see if he was going to approach her, but when he didn't, she went to him and wished him a happy new year.

They just stood there and stared at one another.

"Oh, girl, give him a hug. He won't bite!" Melissa said as she bumped into Cameron's hip so she'd fall into him. But she didn't realize how hard she did it because she went flying into House's arms.

"Melissa...that's enough." House said sternly, which ended the hug and kiss Cameron had wanted from House.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Alli..." Melissa started to say and she groaned. Melissa's head started to swirl and she grabbed onto House's waist. Sarah nodded at Cuddy, who stood up and walked toward House and Melissa. Both women playfully but seriously patted her on her shoulders and escorted her to the library on the other side of the house.

"Melissa, I'm going to get you some coffee." Cuddy said as she walked back to the door.

"I'm really sorry, Lisa, Sar...oh, da…gonna be si..." She said as Sarah quickly grabbed the trash can and handed it to her just in time for her to throw up in it. There was a knock on the door and Sarah waved House in.

"Here's your coff...oh, I guess you don't want it now, huh?" House said as he set it on the coaster on Wilson's desk. Melissa took the Kleenex Sarah handed her, wiped her face and looked up at him in shade of green he'd never seen on a human being.

"Oh, babe." He said as he sat down on the other side of Melissa.

"You stay with her, Greg." Sarah said as she stood up. House nodded his head and said thanks as she closed the door behind her.

"OOoooh." Melissa moaned into the trash can. House scooted closer to her and rubbed her back as another spasm overtook her and she threw up again.

"You're a lightweight, too, huh? I should have warned you about the meds and alcohol." She groaned again, wiped her lips and her chin then leaned back against the sofa.

"Oh, now you tell me, you snot." She said, attempting a laugh.

"I guess this means you are not in the mood for nekkid Twister, then? It's ok. You can flick the spinner." House said trying to be funny but it didn't work.

"Shut up, Greg." She snapped. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to him. She rested her head on his chest and groaned.

"I really made a fool out of myself, didn't I?" She whispered, taking in air so she wouldn't throw up again.

"Actually no, you didn't. I mean, it could have been worse if you threw up on Rog. Well, really, that would have been funny."

"Greg, would you just shut up." She said with a little laugh. "You're talking too loud."

"You have a hangover already? Oh, I'm sorry, sweetie. Just relax a while, ok? They'll wait for us before they

start the game."

She closed her eyes but her head spun worse and she jerked her head back as it felt like it would fall off her head. "I just need to lay here for a while, is that ok?"

"Sure, honey. That'll be fine. I'll go get little squirt and we'll leave." He said as he slowly stood up holding her head in his hands and laid her head on the pillow. She groaned again and reached for the trash can, but she only dry heaved.

House walked into the kitchen to bring back the coffee Melissa didn't drink and overheard Foreman talking to Cuddy, with Sarah at the sink rinsing the glasses.

"...call Dr. Stafford I wi..." Foreman was saying before Cuddy interrupted him when she saw House walk in.

"How's she's doing, Greg?" Cuddy asked as she took the mug from him. He just stood there and stared at Foreman thinking to himself, _'That s.o.b. He's tattling on me again?'_

"She's lying down now, thanks. And Foreman, I would appreciate it if you would mind your own business."

"I'm just thinking of her best int..."

"She's my fiance and none of your concern." He said, starting to raise his voice.

"You almost killed her in Oct and you should have known with those drugs she's taking she shouldn't have been drinking."

House walked right up to Foreman and looked him straight in the eyes. "She is a grown woman, Foreman. I am not her babysitter. She's been through more hell than any of us and she owes no one an explanation." He stormed out of the kitchen and went to find Wilson to get the kids.

House and Wilson put on their coats and walked outside in the cold, wet, new year night.

"What happened in the kitchen, House? I heard you yelling." Wilson asked as they stood at the end of the driveway.

"Nothing." He said curtly. Wilson nodded and knew it was a matter not to be pressed. Then he said, "He told Cuddy if she didn't call Dr. Stafford about 'what I've been doing to Melissa' he would."

"But you haven't done anything." Wilson said.

"I know, tell that to Foreman." House said as he walked to the neighbor's house.

Wilson carried both the kids in his arms as they slept while House carried the bag of diapers and such. Most of the guests were leaving, including Nancy and Foreman, who averted his eyes with House. Of course, House watched him intently as they walked out the door. Sarah took Charlie while Wilson took C.T. and put them in beds upstairs because Wilson insisted they stay with them, and House thought it was a good idea.

House walked into the back room where Melissa was sleeping. He sat on the couch by her waist and watched her sleep. At her age, he was surprised at how much of an 'old soul' she was. He sometimes wished he could be as wise as her, but he thought to himself, _'we've all had our problems.' _ She stirred in her sleep and started to whine. House put his hand on her face and tried to wake her.

"noo...nooo, please, donnnn.." She whined, tossing her head back and forth in a nightmare. House whispered softly to wake her up, then had to raise his voice when that didn't work. She finally shuttered awake and tried to focus on him.

"Babe, let's go upstairs." He said.

"Whaaa..why? No, we can go home." She said as she sat up but then her head started to pound and she lay back down moaning.

"No, just let me scootch behind you so I can snuggle with you."

"Who won the nekkid Twister?" She teased as she sat up again and he lay down, as she followed and he wrapped his left arm around her.

"Oh, I did. I had Cuddy wrapped around my right leg and Cameron under my left arm and Nancy's shoulder on my chest and Sarah's face at my..." He heard a snore escape her, as she'd fallen asleep from the deep, throaty vibration of his chest as he talked against her back. He just grinned to himself, buried his face in her neck and closed his eyes, feeling very happy.

---Back at Foreman's apartment, Nancy sat on the couch a bit pissed at him after he'd told her what he'd said to Cuddy.

"Eric, you had no right to say that." She scolded him.

"Nancy, you don't know the man like I do."

"The man is almost 50 years old! He certainly doesn't need you to dictate his life. Besides, from what I've heard from Allison, she's been in good hands with Dr. House. You shouldn't have said that."

"I don't think you are in the position to be judging the situation."

"And neither are you, Eric. You know, I've had it. I'm going home." She said as she stood up and went to grab her coat.

"Nancy, you don't understan..."

"Oh, I understand, believe me. They're happy together, and you can't stand that. You like him miserable, that way you can still manipulate him the way you always have. You have one little advantage over him while he's trying to overcome his pain. But you don't have that now that he's with her. Who's the sad one now, Eric?" She said as she reached for the door.

As she opened it she said, "Call me when you've grown up." and slammed the door behind her.

Foreman stood in the foyer in shock at what he'd just heard. No woman had ever put him in his place before, and he wasn't sure if he liked it now. She reminded him too much of his mother, being as outspoken as she was. _'Is that a good thing or a bad thing?'_ He thought to himself as he turned around and headed off to bed.

---As Rog and Becka lay in bed for the night with their backs against the other, her eyes were open and she stared out the window, thinking Rog had already fallen asleep. But she couldn't sleep because she had too much running through her head, _'...we shouldn't have had sex last night...are things gonna get weird from here?... where do we go from here?'_ She sighed heavily.

"You still awake, Becka?" He asked, turning over to face her back.

"Yeah, just thinking."

"About what? You okay?" He asked as she turned over to look at him.

"Are you okay with last night?" She asked him.

"I'm more than okay with last night. Why would you ask that? I thought that's what you wanted?"

"Excuse me?" She asked as she sat up in bed and glared at him. "I didn't come all the way up here just to have se..."

"Wait, Rebecca, that's not what I meant. I meant you had a crush on me, and I've been thinking about you lately and...oh, hell. I am more than okay with last night."

She seemed to calm down a bit and asked, "Then can I ask you a question?" He nodded his head.

"What's between you and Melissa?"

His eyes flew open at her question and had to think a moment before he answered. He told her how they met at Cuddy's cabin in NY, how they became close, engaged, went to England, House blew the wedding and now House and Melissa were engaged.

"Wh...how did you know?" He asked her.

"I saw the way Dr. House was looking at you, especially after you spilled your drink on Melissa's blouse...like he thought you'd done it on purpose. But I can tell House and Melissa care about each other. I mean, I'm surprised at the age difference, but, hey, good for him!" She said with a laugh.

"Becka, I'm glad you came up, I really am." He said as he leaned in and kissed her.

"So am I." She said after she'd kissed him back. "I can't believe I'm so tired. But I'm glad it was you that tired me out." She said with a grin.

"Oh, thanks for the compliment." Rog said seriously.

"I was referring to shopping!" She laughed then gave him a hug. And they went to sleep holding each other. They didn't make love; they didn't have to. They already loved each other and it might be the start of something good for Rog, who really did need someone in his life.


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

New Year's came and went peacefully, and life at PPTH was back to normal. Well, normal for PPTH, if you can call it that. House was still adjusting to fatherhood, but overall was doing a fairly good job, until the middle of January. Melissa headed off to work after she'd fed C.T., leaving House to get her clothes together to take to Sarah's. It was Melissa's little test to see how well he'd do, which he failed miserably.

When he dressed her, he didn't even bother matching up the colors of the pants to match the shirt; he pretty much dressed her like he dressed himself. When he finished dressing her he saw, for the first time, that although her eyes were his color, she definitely had her mother's mouth. She'd been gurgling and cooing all morning and he didn't have any problem getting her into the safety seat in the back of the '65 Corvette House didn't have the nerve to get rid of.

He knocked on Sarah's door and immediately entered, as had been the custom the past two weeks. Wilson walked toward the door from the kitchen with Charlie running behind him in his one piece socked pj's.

"Uncle Gweg! Aunt C.T.!" He yelled as he stood at House's feet and the baby started kicking her feet to get down and play with him. House grinned knowing Charlie hadn't gotten the concept down that C.T. wasn't really his aunt.

"Got some bad news, Ace!" Wilson said as he grabbed his coat and put it on. "Sarah's got the flu and I have a board meeting in an hour. But, you have to babysit today." He said as he started to walk out the door.

"Hold on there, Bud! I believe you are sadly mistaken."

"I'm afraid not. Cuddy already approved your time off, but I have to take three of your clinic hours, which as you know, I don't mind." He kept walking toward his car as House and Charlie stood at the door. "Bye, Charlie! Be good for Uncle Greg." As Wilson pulled out of the driveway and waved, House slowly closed the door still holding C.T.

"It'ill be fun, Uncle Greg! I got lots-a toys to pway wif!" Charlie said as they walked into the living room. There was a playpen for C.T. and he placed her in it then headed for the phone. He dialed Cuddy's number very quickly and very agitated.

"Cuddy?" He asked as she answered the phone with a grin on her face because Wilson had called from his cell phone as soon as he turned the corner so she knew it would be him. "Can you send Melissa over?"

"I most certainly will not. She has three papers to type and I have a board meeting in an hour. You'll just have to make due there. Hey, sorry, I've got to go." She said then immediately hung up.

He stared at the phone then placed it back in the cradle and looked at Charlie, who'd been staring at him during the phone conversation. House would just have to make due, whether he wanted to or not.

---Over in Cuddy's office...

"Lisa! I can't believe you didn't tell him her Mom was coming over to watch the kids." Melissa said then laughed.

"I know. Paybacks are great, aren't they?" She said wickedly.

---An hour later, House stormed into the lobby of the clinic and headed straight for Cuddy's office, where she, Melissa and Wilson were at her desk going over some papers.

"Hi, honey! How did the babysittin' go?" Melissa asked with a big, fake smile on.

He glared at Cuddy and had trouble finding the right words to tear into her, so he just glared at Wilson.

"You three think you are _so _funny, don't you?" He said seriously. "I'll have you know I did an incred-ulous job watching those children! Charlie only needed three stitches and C.T. should be okay by tonight." He said then he stormed out.

The three stared at him as he turned the corner, but they saw the smile on his face and he winked at Melissa before he disappeared completely. He went to the elevator to get up to his office and there was a petite red-headed woman that was standing in the corner holding a medical file. She started sneezing...four, five, six times.

House winced and looked at her as she wiped her nose with the back of her hand. When she looked at her hand she cursed, for there was a large amount of blood coming out of her nose. House just looked at the blinking number to see what floor they were on before he groaned, stepped toward her and told her to lean her head back as she pinched her nose.

As the door opened he called for a nurse as he walked out, leaving her in the elevator alone. She took a few steps out and passed out at House's heels. Two nurses and Chase ran toward the elevator to help her.

"What did you do, House? Smack her because she wanted a different floor?" Chase said as he tilted her head back and the nurses attended to her, as House continued to the conference room.

Neither Rog, Foreman nor Cameron looked up as House walked into his office, took off his coat, picked up his coffee mug and walked into the conference room to the coffee machine. He just got done and was turning around when Chase walked in with a folder in his hand, the same folder the redhead was carrying that was in the elevator with House.

"You should feel great knowing you didn't kill Michala Stevenson." Chase said sarcastically as he threw the folder on the table.

"What's that?" Rog asked as he picked it up, opened it and started to read.

"It's Ms. Stevenson's medical folder. I think you guys might find it interesting." He said as he sat down smugly.

House's eyebrows rose up and he said sarcastically, "And why would anyone find a bloody nose interesting?"

"Hmmm. Sixteen year-old female with recurring, acute epistaxis; facial injury in September during soccer match; no nasal polyps; no broke bones; no cancer or tumor in nasal cavities…" Rog was reading as House interrupted him.

"Looks like it's a case for the ENT doc, not us." House said impatiently.

"Right, so I guess she passed out from your dashing good looks, Dr. House?" Cuddy said as she walked through the door. Foreman snickered and Chase couldn't help but laugh; Cameron shot Cuddy a nasty look but she didn't notice because she was confronting House.

"I'm afraid you have to treat Michala, House. I know it's a little out of your field of expertise, but I think you can handle the challenge." Cuddy said sarcastically as she pulled out a chair and sat down.

House looked at her very amused, handed Rog the marker and sat down next to Chase with his arms crossed over his chest and feet propped up on the chair beside him. Rog started writing the symptoms he'd read out loud a few moments ago.

"Uh, write down septal perforation." House muttered under his breath; Rog looked at him confused.

"Also write down cocaine." House said as everyone else now looked at him confused.

"Are you insinuating Michala is doing cocaine which resulted in the septal perforation?" Foreman asked.

"No, doc, I'm insinuating Michala is a man parading around as a woman just so she can have sex with you." He said snottily then said in a southern accent, "Here's your sign!" Cameron and Chase snickered quietly as Rog started writing down the diagnoses under "Cause."

"Get a complete blood test and test for cocaine. When they come back positive, send her to rehab." House said as he stood up and walked toward his office. The team walked out into the hallway to get blood from Michala.

"House, she tested negative for cocaine in Sept." Cuddy said as she followed him in and stood at his desk as he sat down.

"Doesn't mean she's not doing it now, does it?" He asked as he picked up his GameBoy to kill the Purple Onion monsters and Yellow Squash balls with Oil and Vinegar acid he'd almost beaten the other day.

"House, can you pay attention for once in your life?" She snapped as she grabbed the game and threw it on the couch. House glared at her, angrily, although he really wasn't.

"Oh, I paid attention the last time you and I hit the shower to…"

"HOUSE!" Cuddy screamed. "She's the daughter of the Treasury of this hospital, Timothy Stevenson."

"Then why all the cryptic coding, Cuddy? That's all you had to say."

"So, you'll take the case?" Cuddy asked hopefully.

"No. It didn't work. I still don't want it." House told her.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes as she contemplated what her next approach would be. "Okay, fine. You don't have to take the case. But I hope you know this means you now have five extra clinic hours." She snapped as she headed for the door.

"Wait! You can't just bribe me like that! That's employee abuse!" House protested.

She stopped on her heel and turned around. "And why not? You do it to your team all the time. Why can't I?"

"Because you're not their boss."

"Okay, let me think a minute. I'm _your_ boss, you're their boss, so I _am_ their boss, but I'm more important than you are because you are under me." She retorted.

House looked at her like she just spoke Greek, which he hated, therefore failed in college. Cuddy seemed to read his mind.

"Just do it. No clinic hours." She said as she walked out the door and it closed behind her.

He smirked triumphantly to himself, which didn't mean he'd not thought about 'the redheads' condition. He'd simply wait for the blood work to come back positive for cocaine.

But, for now, he was hungry so he pulled out his 'packed lunch' Melissa made for him that morning. He put the separate containers and Ziploc bags on his desk as he grinned to himself as it occurred to him how much he felt like he was in high school and getting his lunch out in the cafeteria. In the bottom of the bag was a folded piece of paper. He frowned, worried at first as to what it could be, then unfolded the pages and started to read.

The note was written on seashore stationary in Melissa's neat cursive writing. It read:

"Story of $20.00 - A well-known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20.00 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up.

He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple up the $20 dollar bill.

He then asked, "Who still wants it?" Still the hands were up in the air.

Well, he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe.

He picked it up, now crumpled and dirty. "Now, who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

"My friends, we have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money, you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20.

Many times in our lives, we are dropped, crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make

and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value.

Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO LOVE you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE and WHOSE WE ARE."

_You are special- Don't EVER forget it." :o)_

House smiled at her note and was deeply touched by her words. He knew he'd made the right choice to do what he did: ask her to marry him, but most importantly, to love her.

He put the note in his pocket and felt the bottle at his fingertips. He frowned then pulled it out, looking at it. It was his Vicodin, with five pills in it. He noticed there was paper in the bottle…_'not another note.'_ He thought to himself. But since the first note was so nice, he figured this note wouldn't be so bad. He pulled it out and read it.

"I have been instructed to slip this into your pocket by Dr. Lisa Cuddy. There are five pills here, which is your two day supply of pain killers. You will be supplied the same every other day. LOVE, Mel."

House wasn't sure how to take the note, but he threw the note away and popped two in his mouth, followed by a sip of water. He made his sandwich then took a bite. Just as he was about to swallow Dr. Cameron walked in.

"She tested negative for cocaine, and every other type of barbiturate. After they gauzed her nostril the bleeding stopped." She told him defiantly.

"Okay, then discharge her." He told her.

"What am I supposed to tell Dr. Cuddy?"

"Hmmph, I'll say it again. Discharge her."

"But we've got to find what's causing her bleeding, Dr. House."

"Discharge her." He repeated. She gave him an 'unbelievable' expression then walked out.

---Later that afternoon Melissa, Chase and Cameron were out at Maestro's Ristorante.

"Was Dr. Cuddy pissed House discharged Michala?" Chase asked as he bit into his garlic bread.

"You're brushing your teeth before I kiss you, Robert." Cameron told him with a grin. "Yeah, she was. But she had a board meeting shortly thereafter and said she'd take care of him tomorrow."

"Oh, great. That means Greg'll be in a foul mood tonight." Melissa sighed as she pushed back her plate with very little food eaten.

Cameron took notice of that fact and asked, "Missy, have you been feeling okay lately? I've noticed you haven't been eating much the past few days."

Melissa looked at Chase then back to Cameron. Cameron took the hint and kicked him under the table.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He softly yelled.

"You've got asparagus in your teeth I think you need to get it taken care of in the bathroom." Cameron said.

"But I haven't eaten asparagus. I _hate_ asp…"

"Robert, go to the bathroom, okay?" Cameron told him impatiently. At first Chase didn't realized what Cameron was telling her

but then it dawned on him that the two needed some 'girl time.'

"Sure, I'm sorry." He said as he wiped his mouth, stood up and walked away, with no protest from Melissa.

"Allie, you didn't have to do that."

"Yes, I did. I've noticed you've lost weight since the holidays and you look a little pale."

"I haven't lost all that much weight. It's just C.T. and running after her and playing with her, on top of the normal stress from the holidays."

"No, it's not. Even Dr. Cuddy commented to me ab…" Cameron started to say.

"Oh, so she asked you to spy on me?"

"It's not like that. She's concerned about you."

Melissa sighed. "Allie, I'm sorry. I've just been a little depressed, I guess."

"Are you still taking the Lithium?" Cameron asked.

"No, Dr. Starke had me switch to Prozac because it's been tough lately and I've been doing so much better. But I've just been tired and there's no reason why I should be. It's not physical exhausting, more mental, I guess."

"Have you talked to House about how you've been feeling?"

"Heck, no. He's got C.T. to worry about so he don't need me makin' him worry more."

"Melissa, he'd only worry about you if you weren't taking care of yourself and you're not. Please tell me you'll talk to him."

She just stared at the candle in the center of the table and slowly nodded her head, even though she had no intention of talking to House because she still believed he didn't need her to worry over.

Chase tentatively walked toward the table and sat down to finish his entrée but didn't speak a word.

"So, when are you two getting hitched?" Melissa asked as she sipped the cappuccino she'd ordered.

Chase almost choked on the chicken but took a sip of water as he tried to think of a reply, but really he was waiting for Cameron to answer the question. Cameron looked at Chase then to the table but never made eye contact with Melissa.

"Hey, what do you want for dessert?" Cameron asked as she waved for the waiter…..

When Melissa walked into the apartment early that evening, House was holding C.T. in his lap and reading her a story. It was her favorite book, the "Feel It" book that she loved touching the pages that were either sandy or furry or lumpy or whatever. C.T. was eight months old and had been cutting in two teeth at the top of her mouth. She still hadn't said her first word yet, but she sure did a lot of talking. Well, gibberish House called it, but Melissa would play along with her like they were carrying on a conversation until the baby giggled.

"Hey! Mommy's ho…" House said then cut himself off. He was looking at C.T. when he said it, and as he glanced up at Melissa he couldn't read the expression on her face as to whether she caught him saying that. They had previously discussed not calling her Mommy but it just slipped out, but Melissa was okay with it.

"Hi, babe. I left some deli meat in the keeper and there's salad in the fridge." He told her as she took her coat off and hung it on the rack. She only glanced in the room and nodded her head, then walked down the hallway to the bedroom.

"Uh, oh. Missy's in a bad mooood." House said as he lifted her up in the air and shook her a little and hoped her nighttime milk wouldn't end up on his face. He stood up, carried C.T. to her room and laid her in her crib; all of the baby's furniture had been delivered the week before and they had her room set-up with only an hour.

C.T. whined a few minutes but then settled down on the mattress and talked with her purple teddy bear her "Aunt Sarah" bought her. He turned on the musical merry-go-round and quietly closed the door behind him. He walked to the bar, poured a Scotch, downed it quickly and headed to his bedroom.

"Melissa, are you gonna to eat?" He said as he walked through the door but stopped when he saw her lying in bed under the covers with her head facing away from him. He slowly walked to the side of the bed and heard soft cries and sniffles. He sat down on the bed and put his left hand on her right hip as he stared at her.

"Missy, what's wrong, hunny?" He asked sweetly. She paused, trying to force back more tears but it didn't work. Her body trembled as she cried heavily. He giggled a little and pulled her up into his arms.

"It…naw…nny…" She stammered as she broke down again. He pressed her head against his chest and rocked her back and forth, letting her cry and waiting for them to become softer and her tears stop falling.

"Oooh, baby, what is it?" He asked as she tore herself away from him and wiped the tears from her face.

"Nuthin'….mmm just sooo tired." She said but avoided his eyes. "…don't think the pills are working, Greg. I'm exhausted, can't eat, can't sleep at night but then all I want to do is sleep during the day but I can't because there's little Charnie and then making you dinner when you come home an…" She said so quickly all the words meshed together into one word.

"Mistletoe, if it's your medications they can easily be altered. There's no need to get all worked up about it. But we can check your blood work again to see if there's infect…"

"And I don't wanna get sick no more! I'm tired of feeling sick…jus' wanna feel good and take care of you and C.T."

"Why don't you ask for a week off, Missy? I'm sure Lisa will understand. That'll give you time to adjust to this new situation that we're both in."

"Oh, there ya go! Making it seem like you're worse off than I am! Gawd, I HATE that…'poor wittle Gweggie Pooh is a cripple' so everyone needs to revolve their life around YOU!" She screamed as she jumped out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Before she could close the door he grabbed the doorknob, trying to keep it open.

"Get out, Greg! I wanna be alone!" She screamed as she fought him.

"No, no way. I will not leave you alone when you're like this." He declared while struggling more to stand in front of the door.

He was just about to pull the door wider by the door handle when suddenly she let go, which sent the door right into House's face. His head shot back as he grabbed his nose and took a few steps back. She stood there staring at him, thinking he was just faking to get her out of the bathroom until she saw blood pour down his upper lip.

"Oh, Greg! Oh, Gawd! I am sooo…" She started to say as she walked toward him. He pushed her away from him as he walked to a chair, grabbed a towel and placed it to his nose to stop the bleeding. He then sat down while Melissa just stood at the bathroom door staring at him.

"I didn't mean what I said, Greg. Please, please let me help you." She pleaded to him, afraid to walk toward him.

He just stared at her, shocked at her behavior and what she said. But he had to ask himself if he was pissed she was right, or pissed at the fact that he'll have a black and blue eye for a few days. The bleeding finally stopped and he stood up and walked to her. She sat on her knees with her eyes wide in terror, scared, confused, bewildered, overwhelmed.

He knelt in front of her and took hold of both her shoulders as he said, "Melissa, you need to talk to me. You can't keep all your frustrations bottled up. That's why I'm here, babe. Please, talk to me."

Tears were building in her eyes as she managed to say, "…mmm scah-aired…"

"Oh, scared of what?" He asked sympathetically.

She hesitated a brief moment then said, "Of losing you."

He laughed fondly. "You're not gonna lose me, Missy. I'm here. I've always been here. Sweetie, is that all this is?" She sniffled and wiped her nose with her forearm.

"Eeewww, I can't believe you just DID that! Ga-rosss!" He said playfully trying to get her to laugh.

"I'm afraid of leaving you." She finally said with all her strength escaping her.

It suddenly dawned on House what Melissa was referring to. All he could do was hold her tighter, as if it were that easy to reassure her. He slowly stood up and reached for her arm, which she took and he pulled her up. He guided her to the bed and they sat beside one another, with her arms wrapped around herself as if protecting herself from House.

"Melissa, first of all, we are getting some more tests tomorrow and then we're changing your anti-depressant. What do you say we go see Dr. Parker, too?"

"I'm still seeing Dr. Par…" She started to say.

"No, I'm talking about as a couple, you and I. I want to know what's going on with you. I want you to talk to me, baby."

"But Greg, don't you get it? You want me to bare my soul to you when you have your own issues and you don't talk to me ab…wait, okay, that wasn't fair."

He stood up angrily and screamed at her, "WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

She finally looked at him and with a tear running out of the corner of her eye she said, "I want you to tell me I don't got

AIDS! I know I'm not her mother but I love her as if I were! I want you to tell me I'm gonna send C.T. off to kindergarten and take pictures at her first dance in middle school and see her walk down the isle and watch your hair grow more grey and…ann…"

House just looked at her, not knowing what to say.

"I don't wanna leave you, Greg. I've been thinking about it the past few weeks and I know I will but I'm not ready. I saw C.T. in your lap and asked myself, 'what am I doing here? He'll be just fine without me.'"

He sat back down beside her and put his right arm around her hips and leaned into her, burying his nose in her neck. She turned her head to face him and put her arm around him as well.

She started to laugh then said, "I'd make a real good mother to C.T., wouldn't I? I'd be having a mental breakdown every two weeks."

"Oh, stop, Mistletoe." House said with a half-smile as he looked into her eyes. "We'll get through this."

House and Melissa went to bed that night in each other's arms, although he didn't fall asleep as quickly as she did, again. As he looked at her face, every line, freckle, he realized exactly what she meant. What she didn't seem to realize was that he didn't want her to leave, either.

Of course he loved Stacy, but the love he had with Melissa was deeper. The rare love they shared came from within, from their souls, the very depth of their being. It had nothing to do with a physical love that seemed to be of the relationship with Stacy.

'_And which is/was more meaningful?' _He asked himself as he brushed the hair away from her face. He leaned his head to hers and kissed her forehead. "You are." He said out loud to her as he closed his eyes and fell into a peaceful, comforting, joyful, loving sleep.

---Over at Wilson's house that same time, he and Sarah were sitting in the living room watching t.v. while she folded clothes.

"Sarah, have you been talking to Mel at all lately, like, the past two weeks?" He asked her during a commercial.

"Of course, why?"

"Have you noticed any change in her since New Year's?"

"She hasn't said anything to me specifically, but she has seemed a little bit down." She told him.

He nodded his head and just as he finished little Charlie shuffled into the living room rubbing his eyes.

"What's the matter, Bud? Have a nightmare?" Wilson asked as he hit couch cushion for Charlie to sit next to him.

"I hadda bad dweam." He whined as Wilson handed him a blanket and he lay down with his stuffed monkey. "Aunt Mewissa weft ann I tol' her stay but she went anyways."

Wilson looked at Sarah because he was at a loss for words and hoped Sarah would be able to find some.

"Honey, Aunt Melissa isn't going anywhere. That's what a nightmare is, just a bad dream." She said reassuringly.

Charlie looked at his mom, stuck his thumb in his mouth and closed his eyes. They continued to watch t.v. a few more minutes until they were sure Charlie was indeed asleep; Sarah grew anxious waiting for him to fall asleep.

As soon as they were sure he was asleep, she picked up the phone and called Melissa. The phone rang four-five-six times with no answer. She was just about to hang up when she heard House say, "What the _hell_ do you want?"

She started laughing. "Hey, grouch! Is Missy still up?" There was silence a moment, then a "hello" from her.

"Hey, Missy. I just wanted to make sure you'd be dropping off C.T. in the morning." Sarah said.

"Girl, you called me out of a dead sleep for that?" Melissa fussed at her.

"Uh, well, yes."

"Sarah, I will see you in the morning." Then she hung up.

"You couldn't think of a better excuse than that?" Wilson asked her as she went to pick up Charlie and put him down in his own bed.

"Well, no." She whispered then carried Charlie up to his own bed. She came back downstairs a moment later and put the clothes basket in the hallway then sat down.

"Uh, hun?"

"Uh, Jimmy?"

"When did you say you started seeing dead people?"

"James, will you stop." She said laughing but then she got serious. "I was his age when they started talking to me."

"Then explain to me his nightmare."

"I can't. All I know, and need to know is Melissa's fine. But I guess I'll have to talk to Charlie about his gift soon."

"Gift? That is just freakin' weird!" He said as he stood up and stretched.

"Well, my aunt had premonitions instead of voices, so maybe he got her gift."

"gooooo tooooo beeeeeeed…" Wilson whispered in her ear like it was a voice from beyond and she couldn't help but laugh.

"I'llll gooooo toooo beeedddd wheennn yooou shuut offff theee liiites." She said as she headed for the stairs.

"You scare me." He teased with a grin as he turned off the two lamps in the room.

"Be scaaaared, be very skawed!" She said as she ran up the stairs, with Wilson in a mad dash after her.

---Early the following morning, Cuddy sat at her kitchen table drinking coffee and eating toast while reading the morning's paper. She frowned at the picture of a 10-year old girl in the obituary section; the little girl was Andie. She felt tears swell in her eyes as the memory of her stay flooded back to her. Andie was the sweetest, bravest kid she'd ever met and was sorry she'd passed, but she knew Andie was no longer in pain and she'd be happier where she was now: in heaven with the other little kids making them smile and laugh and sing along with her.

She left and got to work a little late that morning, after she'd cried a little bit and had to compose herself to be able to work. She said good morning to Melissa as she took the coffee she'd handed her and went to her desk. Melissa noticed she was a little down but decided to let things be.

Cuddy made a quick phone call before she started on anything else that morning. And it was going to be a long day for Dr. Lisa Cuddy.


	13. Chapter 13

Melissa comes to a heart wrenching decision.

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Shortly after Melissa left for the day around noon, Dr. Wilson walked into Dr. Cuddy's office looking glum and sullen but tried to smile as he sat down across from her.

"Sorry I couldn't be here earlier, boss. House was up to his usual shenanigans again." Wilson lied, trying to lighten the mood.

"Did you know Andie died?" She asked him.

"Yeah, Chase told me. He's taking it pretty hard." Wilson watched her for a few moments waiting for her to get to the real reason why she asked him into her office.

"Are you going to the funeral?"

"I wasn't planning on it." Wilson answered, rather coldly. "Can I ask you a question?"

Cuddy nodded her head as she took a gulp of her soda.

"When she was leaving that day and she was saying goodbye to House, you turned to me before you left. I could see something in your eyes that I could never quite figure out. Why didn't you wait to leave until she walked out?"

She looked at him but didn't say anything at first, then said, "It was just hard to see her leave."

He stared back, pondering whether he should let it go, or press the matter further. "What did you want, Cuddy?" He finally asked.

"Andie's funeral is the day after next. Tell the gang they're allowed leave to attend."

"Are you sure that's all you wanted?" He asked, knowing there was something more to the story.

She shook her head and he took the clue that he was 'dismissed.' He reluctantly stood up and walked out, heading straight for House's office.

Cuddy sat back in her chair, swiveled it around to face the building next door and closed her eyes. She remembered the day Andie left like it was yesterday: the pounding of her heart…the ache of holding back tears… the confusion at seeing House not returning Andie's hug.

'_Why hadn't that bastrd hugged her back? He can't be _that_ cold.' …_

Her thoughts went to a goodbye hug of an 8-year old boy because it would be the last time she'd ever see him.

CUDDY'S MEMORY

Ms. Lisa Cuddy sits on her bed in the middle of the night under the covers grasping the blanket up to her chin with her head and shoulders propped up against pillows, wide wake. It has been that way the past few months. She's barely gotten any sleep, happily goes to school because it keeps her mind occupied, comes home, does her homework then sits up awake all night. So, she just decides never sleep again. Although, on certain occasions she does fall asleep but it's only for a couple of hours, certainly not enough sleep for a 15-year old high school student who pushes herself to get straight A's.

The nightmares she's been having are terrifying: the nightmare of the rape, the pain of deciding whether or not to keep it, giving birth and seeing her child carried out of the room without seeing or even touching the baby. But that's the way she wanted it; she figured if she did it that way the grieving of the loss wouldn't be so bad. But it was, and it never went away.

Eight years later, in 1983 while Cuddy is in Southeast Michigan Medical College, she gets a phone call from a woman in Boston who says her son wants to meet his biological mother, and would it be okay if they met up. Of course, Cuddy can't give her an answer right away.

To hold her baby boy just one more time, even though he was conceived at the time she was raped, was something she'd never let herself live down if she didn't. After a few weeks of deep thought and debates with herself she agrees to the meeting.

The afternoon she comes home from seeing them was just as if the clouds have parted to let a ray of sunshine beam onto her face and her soul. He was everything she'd hoped he'd be, and knew he was in a loving home with his adoptive parents.

YEARS LATER…God must have blessed her, for one day she got a call from a woman who wanted her to hire her son as an intern at PPTH, and she happily accepted. Of course she went through the normal procedures, but to have her son work with her was too much of an opportunity to pass up.

Although, the only speculation was that she and the boy's adoptive mother not tell him Cuddy, his boss, was his biological mother, just as they did on the day the met in Boston.

Cuddy sat in her chair thinking again of when she met him and his adoptive mother in Boston. Although she was a nice enough woman, especially for giving Cuddy the opportunity to see her son, she quickly got the impression he hadn't a clue about being adopted, nor that Cuddy was his biological mother, and it was never mentioned. At first she was devastated but then was just happy she could have met him, if only for a brief moment.

She looked at the clock and saw it was only 1:15. She really wanted to go home, but was never one for ditching work. She grabbed a couple of patient folders, laid them out on the desk, pretended to be reviewing them and occasionally a fake mark here or there. And her thoughts drifted…

…to when she first met Greg. They were in chemistry together at MI Med. Coll. and they hadn't noticed one another for weeks into the class. The day they did was the day House destroyed her hair, a mere accident, or so he defends to this day.

Lisa's lab station was in front of Greg's and her partner was the geek of the class, but she knew Len knew what he was doing. It was just a shame Greg didn't know what HE was doing when he mixed ethyl alcohol with pasteurized depthalamine. When he mixed the two the end result was a fizzy, foul-smelling, growing mass of 'acid' that would have eaten through brick.

Unfortunately, Lisa was standing too close to the front of his station and when the mixture reached the edge of the table her waist-long hair brushed against the table, instantly chemically frying almost two inches off the entire width of her hair.

She immediately blasted him because he was actually laughing in between apologizes that sounded as sincere as Bill Clinton saying, 'I did not have sex with that woman…' He offered to pay for her hair repair and handed her $5. She smacked his hand, the bill went flying and she stormed out to go to the bathroom to rinse the ends of her hair.

The following day, and every day after that, Lisa wore her hair up in a ponytail. Greg said hello to her when she walked to her station but she flicked him the middle finger and kept her back to him until the end of the semester, which was Holiday break.

That Thursday before Christmas, the campus had just let classes out early when Lisa was walking to her car with four inches of snow on the ground and more coming down. She was carrying a few heavy books and when she reached her car she slipped onto her right knee sending the books flying. Greg had been following her and came to her 'rescue.'

"I do NOT need your help." She protested when he bent over and picked up one of the books and handed it to her.

"Oh, I think you do. You needed a haircut anyway but I just didn't know how to tell ya." Greg said with a half-grin, trying to be cute and sexy but actually made him look just like Mr. Hyde to his Dr. Jekyll impression months ago. She stood up, nastily grabbed the book from him and went to unlock her car door.

"So, you wanna go out with me?" Greg asked.

She stopped in mid-step, got an exasperated expression on her face and said, "Think of a number between one and 1000. You get it right and we'll go out, during the day for coffee." She challenged.

He bit his lower lip, narrowed his eyes and looked deeply into hers as if he were trying to pull the number from brain cell number 4,239 in the right, back quadrant. The right corner of his mouth rose as he smiled defiantly and said, "256."

She giggled, gave him a snotty smile, said "wrong," then got into the driver side of the car and closed the door.

He pounded at the window with his right fist and hollered at her, "I was right, wasn't I?"

She simply started the engine, put it into reverse but kept her foot on the brake, lowered the window and said "yes" then drove off. When she turned the corner she grinned to herself because he was right, 'damnit.' She'd never noticed his incredibly tantalizing blue eyes until he looked at her and all her defenses came tumbling down.

He stood in the parking lot with his hands on his hips staring at her, snow cascading down his wavy, light brown, thick hair with a huge smile on his face

It was a month before Greg and Lisa actually went out for coffee, and she found him to be the funniest, smartest, interestingly annoying, most ambitious, sexiest man she'd ever met. But there was just a little 'warning signal' that he gave off but she never could put her finger on it…

Now, years later, as Cuddy sat in her office, she finally, whether or not it was correct, had her finger on where Dr. Greg House was coming from.

Just then, House stormed into her office and yelled at her, "I do NOT have time to deal with Micky Stefon when any other doctor in this hospital can take the case."

"House, how did you know the number was 256?" Cuddy asked him, more just to get him to calm down than really wanting to know how he knew.

"What are you talking about, Cuddy?"

"College…our first date. You know, the number you guessed."

"Girl, have you completely lost your mind? I don't remember last week much less…oh, wait! Yeah, that was your dorm room number." He simply said with a half grin. "Why in the hell are you asking me that now?"

"You knew my dorm number? What, were you stalking me?"

"Uh, huh. I got an A in "How to Stalk a Hot Chick in College Advanced" and that was my final exam! Now, who do you want to give Minnie Stephonopolous to?" He asked, no longer playfully.

She glared at him, couldn't help but smile then she immediately lost it and said seriously, "You, Dr. House, or you may as well pack up your things, or should I say toys, and leave this hospital."

"Wha…you can't be serious." He protested.

She opened her top drawer, pulled out an envelope with his name handwritten on it and waved it in his face. "This envelope entitles me to give orders. So, find out what's wrong with Michala Stevenson."

"That's my paycheck…you…I…wha…this isn't fai…DAMNIT" He said as he stormed out of her office, leaving her with a satisfying smile on her face.

House walked into his office, sat down heavily in his chair and made a quick phone call then walked to the conference room in a grumpy mood, which was normal for House.

"Okay, chitlins, what's wrong with Michael Stephens?" House said as he pulled out a chair and sat down.

Cameron, Chase, Rog and Foreman all looked at each other. "Her name is Michala Stevenson, Dr. House." Rog corrected.

House shot him an "Elvis" left upper lip lift as if he were a cat that just had its whiskers pulled. "Whatever. Robert, you have the privilege of writing the symptoms on the board." House said as he looked at Rog. Chase stood up and started to walk to the board.

"No, I meant the _other _Robert." He corrected himself still looking at Rog. Again, they all looked at each other as if they thought their boss had finally lost his marbles.

House threw his head back, made a 'man these people are stupid' expression and brought his head back down. "Dr. Roger Harriett Nelson Mandela, I'm talking to _you_."

Rog looked at House with his eyebrows raised, excitedly stood up and took center stage in front of the board then grabbed the black marker. On the top of the board he wrote 'Michala S., 16, acute bloody nose, facial inj-Sept...nonasal polyps, broken bone, can"...just then the back leg of the board collapsed, sending the board crashing to the floor.

"Nice move, ex-lax. You klutz." House said as Rog picked up then replaced the board on the stand.

"I know you are but what am I?" Rog shot back then laughed.

"Dr. Foreman, what did the test results show?" House asked, giving Rog a dirty look.

"She's negative for cocaine, her MSA is normal and her chem stats are all within acceptable levels." Foreman replied.

House frowned at discovering he was wrong about her cocaine use. His pager went off but didn't bother to look down at it.

"Dr. House was wronggg! Dr. House was wrongg!" Wilson laughed as he walked into the room.

"Oh, and like you've never been wrong?" House snapped back.

"Nope, never. Except for when I'm right." He answered. "Cuddy wanted me to tell you Timothy Stevenson just had a bloody nose."

House rolled his eyes and said, "And I want to know that becuuuz?"

"Dr. Cuddy thinks there may be a correlation between his epistaxis and his daughter's, Michala." Rog caught on, writing 'family history?' on the board.

Wilson nodded his head as he sat down.

"What are you doing here, Wilson? Sarah tell you to keep an eye on me?" House asked him.

"No, Cuddy did."

"Well, I have to go." House said as he stood up. "Have a meeting with a patient."

"We _are _discussing a patient now, Dr. House." Cameron said. House didn't respond as he walked out of the conference room, with Wilson behind him.

"So, Rog, did Becka get home okay? We really haven't had a chance to talk lately." Chase asked as he reached for the folder and

read through Michala's file.

"Yes, she did." He answered.

"She seems real sweet. Did she have a good time?" Cameron asked.

"Yes, she did."

Cameron noticed his shortness with answering the barrage of questions and changed the subject. "So, do any of you have an idea about Michala's nosebleeds?" She asked.

"Dr. House prescribed her prednisone for the inflammation that he says just caused her epistaxis." Chase said from the notes in her folder.

"No, House said it was septal perforation from excessive cocaine use and he was wrong. Why don't we do a nasal delaprothy to see if there is any significant scar tissue, if at all." Chase said and hesitated a moment. "Oh, it says here she has a follow-up appointment in four days. We'll see to it when she comes back. Hopefully it'll be fine by then."

Just as the four stood up to go do other tests in the imaging center the phone rang. Cameron went to answer it, frowned, then handed the phone to Rog.

"This is Rog Nelson." silence Rog's face turned pale and his eyes teared up as he turned his back on his colleagues. "When?...oh my God..."

"What is it, Rog?" Cameron asked fretfully as he hung up the phone.

"It...it's my parents. Th...dead." He stuttered as he stepped back and collapsed in the chair. "That was Uncle Stan...carbon monoxide poi..."

A FEW MINUTES LATER...Rog walked into Dr. Cuddy's office; she was on the phone. When she saw him she pointed to the chair for him to sit down and he did so. She said 'yes' a few times then hung up.

"I am so sorry to hear about your parents." She said as she stood up and walked to the front of her desk and leaned against it as Rog looked at her confused. "Oh, that was your parents' attorney."

He looked at her more confused. "I'll be flying down to Atlanta with you for the funeral. All the expense is taken care of. That's what the attorney called about. And, I have some more rather shocking news." She said, trying to sound as diplomatic as she could under the circumstance.

"Do you remember meeting a woman when you were about 8? When you and your parents were living in Boston?" He looked at her blankly and shook his head.

"What your attorney also wanted me to tell you was...that...God, this is harder than I thought it'd be." She said as she took a deep breathe.

"Rog, your parents adopted you at birth. You were born here, in New Jersey, and your parents were living in Boston at the time, that's where you grew up. Shortly after I met you and your mother, your family moved to D.C., where I'd lost touch." She lied about that last part.

Rog still looked at her, but his expression changed from confusion to anger, then back to confusion. "Why are you telling me this, Dr. Cuddy?" He asked.

Cuddy sighed deeply. "Your parents adopted my baby when I was 15. You are my son, Roger."

"WHAT? I don't bel...what the hell are you saying?"

"I know this is hard and I'm so sorry to have to tell you like this. After you graduated from Med school your mother called me to ask if I'd hire you an..."

Rog stood up and exploded...

---Up on the third floor, House stood outside in the hall for a few minutes before she walked down the hall toward him.

"I got your page. Did Sarah have a problem watching C.T. an extra hour?" House asked Melissa as she stood on her toes and kissed him.

"No, not at all! She said they built a tent in the dining room with the chairs and having a great time."

He nodded his head and escorted her into the office. The receptionist said they could go on in, and they did so. Dr. Parker stood from her desk and waved her hand toward the chairs as the three sat down.

"So, what has been going on with you two?" She asked. They sat quietly for a moment waiting to see who would speak first.

"Well, I guess it's been a little hard on me since we've had C.T. an..." House shot Melissa a confused look when she said that.

"Oh, hun, I didn't mean it that way. You know I love C.T..." Melissa talked about her 'breakdown' the night before.

"That's to be expected. That is quite an adjustment for the both of you." Dr. Parker told them. "Have you had your meds changed, I mean your anti-depressants, Melissa?"

"Yes, from Lithium to Prozac, but I don't think they are helping." She said with a laugh then grew serious again.

"Ok, make an appointment with Dr. Jensen to get that changed. Greg, how are you doing with the pain?"

"Okay, I guess."

"I think I should have clarified that question. Are you still taking the Thorazine?"

"No." He answered, and Melissa shot him a quick glance because she knew he was still self-medicating with the placebo.

"Is Dr. Cuddy still giving you the Vicodin?"

"Yes."

"And how has that been working for the pain?"

"Not enough."

"Ok, we'll discuss that in our private session. For now, let's work on you two." Dr. Parker said.

Back in Cuddy's office...

"Why are you doing this, Dr. Cuddy?" Rog screamed at her. "You've known all this ti...my parents knew all this time and neither told me. This is crap. I don't need to hear this right now. I'm leaving for Atlanta alone. You are not coming with me! I'll decide if I want to continue working here while I'm away." He said then left her office.

Cuddy was speechless as she watched him walk out. She felt tears come to her eyes, walked to the couch, sat down then put her face in her hands.

_'It wasn't supposed to happen like this.'_ She told herself. But then again, she hadn't thought about how she was ever going to tell him in the first place. She'd always hoped, deep down, that his parents would. But, now, that didn't happen. But he was right: she shouldn't go to the funeral. The death of his parents were going to be hard enough on him as it were, he certainly didn't need any more complications.

---A few days had passed since House and Melissa had counseling together; since Cuddy told Rog she was his biological mother; since Rog left for his parents' funeral and since the gang had reviewed Michala Stevenson's medical file.

That morning, Cameron, Chase and House sat around the conference room doing what they did best: Cameron checked over House's mail, Chase tried to beat Rog's high score in Soduko and House was trying to distract Chase by throwing wads of paper, or paper clips, binder clips, pens...anything he could get his hands on so he wouldn't get the high score.

"Dr. House, will you PLEA...shit...I almost had it!" Chase fussed as he pressed 'start new game.'

House smiled triumphantly as Foreman stuck his head in the room and said, "Michala is back."

Chase and Cameron stood up as House said sarcastically, "Guess she found more cocaine."

Foreman shook his head as the three went to the clinic to follow-up with Michala.

"Hi, Michala. I'm Dr. Cameron and this is Dr. Chase." She said as they walked into the room and saw Michala lying back on the table with cotton gauges up both nostrils.

"eye." She said, which was meant to be a hello.

Chase walked to her side and asked her to stick out her tongue and immediately noticed a lesion in the corner of her mouth. "Michala, how long have you had this?" He asked.

"Combs ant ghos." She replied then opened her mouth.

"When did the bleeding start again?" Dr. Foreman asked.

"Do days ago."

"Okay, we want to do a nasal delaprothy to look for scar tissue from previous nose bleeds and any lesions, like the one on your lip." Foreman told her.

As the three walked out of Michala's room they discussed her case.

"I definately saw lesions in her left nasal cavity, but there were more in her right." Foreman said.

"Didn't Wilson say her father also had a bloody nose?" Cameron inquired.

"Yes, he did. That must mean it's hereditary." Chase said as they walked to the elevator to get to the lab.

The elevator doors opened and they found Melissa standing in the back with swollen and red eyes and splotchy nose, as if she'd been crying. She tried to avoid their eyes as she started to walk out.

Cameron asked, "Hey, Missy! Want to go out for drinks tonight?"

"I'll let you know." She answered distantly as she continued down the hall.

"What's wrong with her? House must have pissed her off again." Chase said as they got on the elevator.

Cameron elbowed him in his arm. "Knock it off, Robert. She's been avoiding me lately. I don't know what's wrong."

Melissa opened the door to Cuddy's office and sat down in the chair across from her desk.

"We have to get that Stellar report out bef...Melissa, what's wrong?" Cuddy asked after she looked up at her.

"I had Dr. Parker this morning, remember?" She said coldly.

"Oh, that's right." She said, not wanting to press the issue.

"Lisa, can I ask you something?" Melissa asked as she grabbed a Kleenex and blew her nose.

"Of course you can." She said as she came out from behind her desk and sat next to her.

"How did you handle Greg?"

Cuddy looked at her funny then asked, "What do you mean?"

"When you two were together? And please don't tell him we've talked!"

"Okay, okay. Never, Melissa. Sometimes it was hard. It took months before I warmed to him, but that was because there was so much he was hiding from me...I mean like not really letting me in." Cuddy told her. "Missy, has something happened?"

"No, it's jus...I think I know now why he hides his true feelings." She answered. Cuddy frowned and was waiting for more when House walked in.

"I thought I'd find you in here, Mel!" House said as he walked closer to them.

"Of course, House, she works here." Cuddy snapped as she stood up and walked behind her desk again.

"I was wondering if you wan...babe, what's wrong?" He asked then saw the expression on her face.

"Well, I've got a few patients to see, considering they've been waiting for you for 45 minutes." Cuddy said as she walked out of the room, but she didn't have any patients. She knew the two needed to talk.

As Dr. Cuddy walked toward the reception desk in the clinic the nurse handed her an envelope from the mail that day. She looked at the writing and the return address on it, 'Roger Nelson.' She sighed and put it in her lab coat pocket before she headed off to the conference room to find out about Michala Stevenson's condition.

"Hey, guys." Cuddy said as she walked in. "What's the diagnosis on Michala?"

"No polyps but I did notice lesions in her nasal cavity. I think it's just scar tissue from her previous nosebleeds." Chase said nonchalantly.

"But what about her dad? He has a history of them as well. Do you think it could be telangiectasia?" Foreman asked after he reviewed the board again for all the symptoms.

"Osler-Weber-Rendu disease? It's very possible. Let's get a blood test to confirm." Cameron said as she stood up.

"Dr. Cameron, let Dr. House get the blood." Cuddy suggested as she headed for the door.

"But he's not here, Dr. Cuddy." Cameron said.

"Just because you don't see all the stars in the sky doesn't mean they're not there." Cuddy said cryptically as she walked out.

Chase looked at Cameron and said, "What the hell did that mean?" Cameron just shrugged her shoulders.

Cuddy went back to her office and thankfully Melissa and House were gone. She sat down and pulled the envelope out of her pocket. She slowly ripped at the edge with the letter opener and pulled out the three-fold, letterhead stationery. She sat back in her chair and slowly read. After she was done she folded the paper and threw it on her desk.

"Damnit!" She screamed, louder than she thought it'd come out. Melissa flew her head up and looked at her, but decided to let her be. For some reason, they have been rather distant with each other the past week or so. She didn't stop caring for Cuddy, but just didn't really need any more stress from someone else's misery.

Cuddy picked up the phone, dialed House's pager then grabbed some papers and started to work on them. A few minutes later House walked into her office.

"Cuddy, I told you once there is nothing wrong with Michelle Stefani!"

"I'm having a major de ja vu, House. Haven't we already had this conversation and I won?"

"Why do we pay the three muskateers if they don't draw blood from people? I get paid more than they do, why can't they do it?"

"Stop whining and get blood from Michala, House!" Cuddy yelled back.

He made a face at her, stormed out and headed to exam room 3. He opened the door, grabbed a syringe out of the drawer and walked to the table without saying a word.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"Dracula. I need some blood."

"You're weird." She said.

"I know. I get more weirder after dark." He said. "Now give me your arm."

She did so and he drew the blood. He walked out without saying a word then walked to the conference room. He walked in and threw the vial at Foreman, who almost dropped it. House proceeded to his office without saying a word.

"What in the hell is his problem?" Foreman asked.

"I don't know. I think it's a full moon tonight. Everyone is acting strange lately." Chase said then they all laughed.

---Later that night, Cuddy sat on her couch in her living room drinking her third glass of wine and looking over the letter from Rog. She couldn't believe he actually resigned. He didn't say why he did but she knew why. She had betrayed him, lied to him, messed up his life. But she didn't want it to be this way. She never dreamed it would be this way. She only hoped he'd eventually come around and understand why she and her adoptive parents did what they did. It's what was for the best. She closed her eyes and cried, for the son she lost, not just once, but now for the second time.

---House walked into his apartment still in a grumpy mood. He had planned on talking more with Melissa after they put C.T. down. It was quiet, which was unusual. Melissa and the baby were normally in the tub by now, which he never understood because she always got messy after she ate dinner. He walked to the dining room table where he saw a piece of paper under a single rose.

He unfolded the paper and read the first line: 'I'm so sorry, baby. I can't do this to you and C.T...sweet Charnie...she's still at Sarah's. Please get her. I have to do this...I'm so sorry. I love you.'

He frowned, got a little sick to his stomach and sat down to finish the rest of the letter.

'Did I disappoint you or let you down? Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?

Cause I saw the end before we'd begun. Yes, I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.

So I took what's mine by eternal right, took your soul out into the night.

It may be over but it won't stop there. I am here for you if you'd only care.

You touched my heart, you touched my soul; you changed my life and all my goals.

And love is blind and that I knew when my heart was blinded by you.

I've kissed your lips and held your head, shared your dreams and shared your bed.

I know you will, I know your smell. I've been addicted to you.

Goodbye, my lover. Goodbye my friend.

You have been the one. You have been the one for me…'

House felt the tears come to his eyes but didn't bother to wipe them from his cheeks as they fell onto the paper he held. He knew the song, Goodbye My Lover by James Blunt, from the Back to Bedlam CD.

"No...no...she can't...not to C.T..." And cried, then picked up the rose and brought it to his nose. But when he smelled it, it smelled of Melissa. The woman he'd given so much up for. He had been betrayed; not by Melissa, but by love. Again. But, he swore to himself as he grabbed his coat and headed out the door, that he would never love again. He had little Charnie, and that was enough love he could handle.

Over at Cameron's apartment, she and Chase had just sat down for dinner.

"Allison, what did Melissa say when she called you this afternoon?" He asked as he put dressing on the salad.

"She called to say goodbye."

"I figured that much. Did she say _why_ she had to leave? House finally got to her, didn't he?" He said impatiently.

"NO, Chase! The man may be impossible to work with sometimes but he does have a heart."

"Oh, man, don't tell me we're going through this crap again now that he's available." He said putting his fork down on his plate so hard a few peas ended up on the table.

"Robert, come on! Just because I defend him doesn't mean I want the man. We've been through this before!" She yelled as she stood up and walked into the kitchen to get the bottle of wine.

Chase sighed and followed her into the kitchen. "Hun, ok, that was uncalled for. I'm sorry." He said as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Why are you so insecure? I love you, Robert. My parents love you. I'm happy, baby, really. It doesn't mean anything if I go through his mail or get him coffee." She said as she turned around and embraced him.

"Are we gonna have to have a secret signal between us when I get the feeling I've pissed you off?" She asked him as she pushed him away and walked back to the dining room table with the bottle of wine.

"No, dear…well, you could rub your nose or tug your ear or pick your nose or…" He said seriously.

"Eeew! I don't think so!" She said and they both laughed.

"Look, what Melissa told me was she just got scared because of her AIDS and she couldn't bare the thought of dying and leaving House and C.T. alone. So she left now while the baby was young, and House could get on with his life and not have to worry about her if she got real sick. She knows he can handle the baby, she's seen him when it's just those two. She's his daughter. It's about time he had someone other than himself to love."

"Allison, doesn't she know there are people with AIDS that live ten years or more?"

"Yes, that's what I told her. But she didn't tell me where she was going. I wish she had, though. But I pleaded with her to stay. She has done so much for him and for the baby. But she's a stubborn woman, you know that."

"Yes, I do. All you women are stubborn." He said with a laugh.

"We have to be! Over the eons we've learned we have to be so you men don't walk all over us." She said seriously.

"Now you're getting into some dangerous territory, Ms. Cameron." He said as he finished his wine and sat back in the chair.

"Oh, are you threatening me, Robbie?"

"_Robbie?_ Since when did I say you could call me that?" He said, standing up as if challenging her.

"I didn't know I needed your permission." She said as she mimicked him but tried to sneak away out of the room. "Shouldn't you need MY permission, Slobby Robbie?" She said as she suddenly ran into the living room toward the bedroom.

"OK! That was uncalled for! Get back here, woman!" He screamed as he ran after her.

He caught up with her at the foot of the bed but he ran into her before she was able to brace herself and they both tumbled onto the bed laughing.

"You think you are SO funny, don't you?" He teased as he grabbed her wrists and put them over her head.

"Yes, I work part-time at the Improv, didn't you know that?" She squealed.

"I'd stick with your day job…" He said as he leaned in a kissed her neck. "…well, I'd give up your day job and just stay home with me."

She turned her head to the side as he continued to kiss her neck, her ear lobe, just in the right places she liked.

"Robbie Dobbie, you know I love you, right?" She asked as she tilted her head forward and kissed him. They kissed for what seemed like forever and they looked at each other when he broke away from the kiss.

"No, why don't you show me you love me?" He teased back.

They made love with passion, commitment and love for one another. And for Chase and Cameron, love was great.

---House knocked on Wilson's door about 6:30 that same night after he'd been to the bar on the corner for a few drinks before he picked up his daughter.

He never felt as alone and as needy as he did at that moment. He never understood why he bothered falling in love. Why he gave his heart and soul to anyone. He had Charnie, but he'd already told himself that was enough. But was it really? The self-doubt he'd always had made life miserable for him. He just wanted to get on his bike and ride off forever, never looking back, just taking in the changing scenery around him.

Wilson opened the door and looked at House for a brief moment while he went over everything in his mind. Wilson didn't say a word until House focused on Wilson's face and took a few steps toward him. They heard Charlie in the back laughing and clapping his hands.

"House, let's go upstairs and talk." Wilson suggested as he hoped to determine what kind of shape he was in before House took the baby home. That was a tough decision he and Sarah made: C.T. was his daughter, yes, but was House in the right frame of mind to take care of her?

Melissa Fitzhugh sat anxiously in the abandoned house on 12th Street watching Tony as he prepared the cocaine for the injection he would give her. She didn't know what she was doing here, but she DID know what she was doing here. She wanted to forget, forget the love and pain she felt for House, forget the love she felt for C.T. and forget the friends she left behind at PPTH.

After Tony removed the needle from her vein she sat back against the wall and waited for peace to come to her, if only for a couple of hours. She was going to die anyway, right? She just didn't want, or couldn't live with, the pain she felt in her heart, her bones, her being.

But she couldn't help think of the love she had with him, and it was his face she last remembered as the drug kicked into her system. And the pain slowly ebbed away…

---Wilson closed the door behind him as House sat on the chair in the sitting room upstairs. But House didn't look at his friend, his only friend, a caring friend who got straight to the point.

"House, have you been drinking?" Wilson asked.

House shot a death glare at him. "Yeah, what's it to you?"

"Oh, I could care less if you kill yourself, but I will not let you kill that innocent child." He answered back firmly.

"She is _my_ responsibility, not yours."

"How…Greg. I know it's tou…" Wilson started to say.

"Oh, you do? You don't know squat!" House said as he stood up but swayed a little. Wilson stayed where he was, prepared for the next shot of reality House needed.

"Her Godmother, Sheila, has filed for custody of Charnie, House! Do you really want to do that to your little girl? And she's got plenty of ammo to shoot against you: you're addicted to drugs, you're irresponsible, you drink…should I continue?

"How in the hell do you know that lady has filed for custody?" House stammered as he continued to stand.

"Because Melissa called her last week, and a week is long enough to file papers."

"You bastard! You have NO right to do this!" House screamed, taking a step closer to Wilson, who stood his ground.

"I am getting my daughter and leaving with her, Wilson." House said as he walked beside Wilson, who stuck his arm and to stop him.

"I'm afraid not. Sarah and I are keeping C.T. until the hearing in three wee…" Wilson started to say but House pushed him against the wall with his elbow under his throat.

Wilson's eyes grew wide but knew House wouldn't hurt him. But then again, he'd never seen House this despondent, and on top of that he'd been drinking.

"You're going to have to fight for your life to get her. You're going to have to prove you can raise that child to be someone _other_ than yourself." Wilson croaked.

House's eyes seared into Wilson, but he eventually let go of the choke hold.

"Go home, House, sober up and decide what you want. And might I suggest a good lawyer?" Wilson said as he opened the door and stood aside for House to leave.

House continued to stare at Wilson, not believing what just happened between them.

"You will _not_ get my little girl, and neither will that wicked godmother." He said as he walked through the door, stomped downstairs and slammed the front door behind him.

Wilson ran his hand through his hair and sighed, then went downstairs to the back room to Sarah and the kids. When she saw him she immediately frowned and was about to say something when Charlie said, "Awnt Mewissa's gone, isn't she?" Wilson looked at Charlie then looked back at Sarah.

"Yes, buddy, Aunt Melissa's gone away." Sarah said as she patted the top of his head.

"Is Awnt Chawnie gonna stay wiff us? Hope she does." Charlie asked as he handed the baby a graham cracker.

"We don't know, son, we don't know." Wilson said as he walked out to the living room, to the bar, to the bottle of whiskey, poured a few shots and downed the whole glass, making a face like he'd suddenly had an attack of major heartburn.

'_I'm doing this for Charnie and Stacy, not House.'_ He kept telling himself over and over as he poured another shot.

Sarah walked into the room and put her hand on his shoulder. "Honey, you're doing the right thing…_We're_ doing the right thing."

"Sarah," Wilson said as he turned to look at her. "Are you sure of that? Absolutely sure we're doing the right thing?"

House left the home of his friend, or ex-friend, and had no idea where he was going but he just kept driving. The thought came to him to find the nearest tallest bridge to bungee jump without a rope, or thickest tree he could find to wrap the car around…then he asked himself if his 'end it all' thoughts were coming from the liquor or had he just had enough? But his daughter's face kept flashing before his eyes, and she was alone, with no mother and no father.

Wasn't it almost a year ago that he swore to himself that he would make a great father? And that didn't include Melissa as a

mother figure. He wasn't going to let it happen. He couldn't do it, just couldn't, not to C.T., or Stacy, for that matter.

He happened to glance at the clock and it read 10:50 pm and found himself miles from home. It dawned on him how tired he was, not so much physical but emotionally tired. He glanced in the rear view mirror and saw his eyes were dark, sullen and very empty. He passed a green sign for Winchester, MD and decided to find a place to sleep for the night.

Not that he would sleep, but to think. About what he wanted. About what he needed. About what he loved…Charnie.

The next morning at PPTH, Dr. Cuddy sat at her desk and kept staring at the clock. Melissa was an hour late, and she was never late for work. House limped into the office looking more gruffly than he ever had with his wrinkled pants and jacket and he hadn't even combed his hair.

"House, where's Meli…what happened to you?" She asked alarmed.

"I don't know, and I need something from you." He said as he went to her coffee machine and poured a cup then sat down in one of her chairs.

She looked at him bemused, both by his tone of voice and his appearance. "Greg, what is it? Is something wrong with Melissa?"

He shook his head then said, "She's gone. You'll need to find a replacement."

"What do you mean, gone?" She asked but he didn't answer her question.

"Cuddy, I need a lawyer." He said solemnly.

She was stunned by his statement. She stood up and sat in the chair next to his. "What's going on, Greg?"

He told her what happened at Wilson's, but not about the note Melissa left him.

"I'll see who I can find. I have someone in mind but will have to check if he will be available."

He half-nodded his head as he stood up. "Wait, I need my fix, Dr. Cuddy."

She went to her desk, pulled open a drawer and handed him a bottle. "Thanks." He told her. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't tell anyone."

"No, they don't need to know about the Vicodin."

"I'm talking about the baby." He said as he walked to the door.

"Ok, is there anything el…" She started to say but he interrupted her.

"Yes, fire Wilson." He said as he walked out the door and headed to the conference room.

As he walked in Chase, Cameron and Foreman immediately quit talking to one another and it was very obvious to House they were talking about him. He ignored the sudden silence and walked to his office and closed the glass door separating the two rooms. He sat at his desk, put on the headphones of his MP3 player and turned it on, with the volume set at 'high.' He popped a few pills in his mouth then leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes.

He wanted, or needed, to block everything out. After a few minutes he felt a tap on his right shoulder but he didn't open his eyes. A few seconds later another tap. He sighed and finally opened his eyes to see Cameron staring down at him.

"What do you want? Can't you see I'm busy?" He snipped.

"Dr. House, I know Cuddy needs an assistant and I know Melissa isn't coming back and I was just won…"

"Oh, God, Cameron to the rescue? You must have passed your Martyrdom 101 with flying colors." He said bitterly before closing his eyes again.

Suddenly the song volume went off and Mariah Carey stopped singing, 'All By Myself.' His eyes flew open and he screamed, "Go away! Go heal a patient or do an MRI or something."

"No, Dr. House. I want to know if you need me here because if Dr. Cuddy needs help I will be glad to do what I can. It's not like we're busy around here." She said firmly as she headed to the door.

"Oh, and you'll be glad to know Michala Stevenson indeed does not do drugs but does have Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome. We referred her to Dr. Bassinger." And the door closed behind her.

House stared at the glass door a moment before he looked into the conference room and saw Chase and Foreman looking back at him. He simply put the headphones back on, cranked the volume up as loud as it would go and sat back to drown everything around him out.

---Back in House's apt., Steve was having a good ole' time as he ran in his wheel and thought to himself...

_'Yay! My girl-freeend is on her way up for a while, and I have to work out these darn biceps. I've been eating way too much, lately. Missy, who's now gone, damnit, would give me the best treats. That stupid House doesn't know she comes to visit me. Hehehehehee...'_ which came out as a little squeekity-squeek-squeek 

_'And I guess now that Missy is gone House ain't gettin' none no mo! The loser! He can't keep women worth shyte! I'm a better man...I mean mouse...than he is! I'm a stud! A mousey stud! The Mouse of Stud-itity!'_

"GO STEVE! GO STEVE!..." He said out loud as he pants.

_'Ok, I've have enough. I need to get some rat-mix out for her.' _Steve thought as he walked to the bowl of food and sniffed to make sure it was still fresh.

'_Gotta feed her the right morsels or she gets cranky. Damn women! I mean female miceees!'_ Just then Steve heard claw marks come up the coffee table leg.

"Kelleeeeeeeeeeeee! Oh, Kelleeeee...come up, my love! Minnie may make it tonight! Hot diggity!" Steve hollered as Kellee stuck her head in between the bars and squeezed through.

"Ah, my love! I have fresh food to stuff you before I stuff you." He said as he rubbed her whiskers with his nose. She replied with a 'squeeekk...squeeeeeekkk.'

"It's okay that you can't talk. I like a female that doesn't talk. Come here, moi cherie!" smootches….. smootches...mice kisses...mice kisses... 

"OW! I _told_ you to gnaw that front tooth down! You bit my lip. Wait, didn't Cameron do that to Chase! Isn't that what I heard House say on the phone when he told Wilson? Well, doesn't matter, my sweet...Come to my lair of luuuvvv!"

Steve and Kellee scurried off to the empty toilet paper roll….

**---**Back in House's office he continued to listen to the current song on his MP3 player, 'Unanswered Prayers' by Garth Brooks. He didn't really like the song overall, but just one part of the lyrics, "Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers…" Those words always affected him, though he never knew why. Well, he had a clue, but he was never really honest with himself.

If he really _did_ want to think about it he'd remember the time when Wilson told him he needed people to like him, and he replied he didn't care. But anyone who ever says that is a liar, including House. In House's sick, twisted mind he wouldn't be doing what he was doing if he didn't want people to like him. Although he'd never accept any accolades he'd been given about saving so many lives, deep down that was enough for him to _know _people liked him. But not for who he was, or what his hobbies were, or who he could be. But was that really enough for him?

The thought had just crossed his mind to go home when he felt something hard and solid pound into his chest the something roll down his leg. His eyes flew open and was about to curse the person out when he saw his red ball bounce to the floor and Cuddy standing at his desk. She handed him a piece of paper with a name and phone number and walked out the door without saying a word. House noticed her eyes were red and swollen but didn't have a chance to ask what was wrong. That had always been her way with him, even when they dated in college: she'd avoid him until she was ready to talk about whatever was bothering her.

He looked at the paper at the name, 'Harold Pittman' with a phone number. He assumed it was the lawyer she'd found for him but he was so emotionally drained and exhausted he told himself he'd just call tomorrow. That would leave him the weekend to think about everything else that was so screwed up in his life.

Later that afternoon House walked into his apartment and headed straight for the living room, threw the cane on the floor and collapsed on the sofa. He heard squeaks coming from Steve McQueen's cage but he didn't even care what that stupid rat was up to. He had just closed his eyes when he heard yelps, whines and scratches coming from the hall bathroom.

"Shyte…I forgot about Wayni." He said out loud as he sat up and headed for the bathroom door, dreading opening the door to see what kind of mess the puppy had left for him to clean up.

What stared back at him was little Wayni's sad puppy-dog 'I need to go outside NOW' eyes. House couldn't help but grin as she scurried out and jumped up on his leg wagging her tail with glee. He grabbed her leash, hooked it to her collar and headed out the door. For a mid January day it was fairly warm, lower 50's. Wayni excitedly sniffed the grass and found a spot to tinkle as House looked up the street and something caught his eye.

There was a figure behind a tree down at the intersection but he couldn't tell if they were just standing there or had just turned the corner. After a few moments of debating whether he really cared enough to go check it out Wayni had other plans. She playfully pulled at his sneaker laces and pulled as hard as she could in the other direction.

He decided to play along with her and let her lead her Daddy down the street to venture into the unknown: a four-legged creature and a three-legged creature who both just wanted love, affection, attention and some direction in their lives. One was content with what they had, the other wasn't so lucky. That creature was preparing for a battle he never imagined: the fight for his daughter.

---Over at Cameron's, she and Chase were going over possible plans for her family reunion over the summer, and had been going back and forth for a while about Chase refusing to attend.

"Allison, I am _not_ going if your brother is there. You have to tolerate him because he's your brother but he isn't mine."

"Come off it, Robert! It's not that big a'deal. You'll learn to ignore him after a while. I would really love it if you would come. You know my parents like you and I'd love you to meet my cousins."

"I don't have a problem with your parents - but your brother? I mean, there's no telling what would come out of my mouth after he'd make any stupid-assed remarks."

"Hun, you seemed to handle him well enough at dinner. What's wrong now?"

"I don't know, Allie, I don't know."

---House walked back into his apartment after he and Wayni went on their late afternoon walk. He knew there would be one more before bedtime but for now he could sit back, relax, and think. He sat on the sofa and removed Wayni's collar then she ran off into the kitchen for water from her bowl. House was lying down when she came back and after a few attempts managed to jump up on the sofa next to his leg.

She proceeded to slowly, cautiously and daringly inch closer and closer to his hand for him to pet her. He had his eyes closed but knew what she was doing and he couldn't help but grin. He finally reached out and scratched her behind her ears. She yelped in exhilaration and jumped up on his stomach wagging her tail and licking his face. He laughed out loud and it felt good, considering there wasn't much for him to laugh about. He fussed at her to settle down after a bit and she obliged, lying on his chest and rested her chin on the tops of her paws.

He went over and over in his mind what he had to do and how he was going to do everything that he had to do. Cuddy had always been supportive of him, and if she wasn't now, he figured she wouldn't have given him the lawyer's phone number. Then he remembered all the family legal stuff that she was involved in when her father died. Maybe she'd be able to send him in the right direction.

He sat up with Wayni growling but she jumped to the end of the couch where her blanket was and settled in. He picked up the phone and dialed her number but got the voice mail. At first he wasn't going leave a message but did anyway. He didn't think she'd call back but he hoped she would.

He walked to the bar and poured a Scotch then walked back to the couch. Wayni looked up at him and warily approached him. He put the drink down to her level, she smelled it then sneezed. He laughed a little but was shocked when she went back to the glass and licked…once. Her nose wrinkled, she sneezed again then walked back to her cushion and lay back down.

"You have no taste." He scolded her just as door bell chime went off. Wayni picked up her head and growled as she anxiously awaited what stranger was behind that tall, flat board looking thingie.

House looked through the peep hole and as he opened the door he said, "I just called you."

Cuddy walked in without saying and word and Wayni jumped off the sofa running to her, smelled her shoe and wagged her tail enthusiastically.

"Ah, this is the infamous Wayni! What a cutie you are." Cuddy said as she bent over and ran her hand over her back. Wayni barked acceptance and ran around the couch looking for her chew toy, which she brought back to Cuddy as she handed House her coat. Cuddy wasn't in the mood to play right then so she walked to the couch and sat down forcefully. House asked if she wanted a drink and she nodded her head because she needed a drink, badly.

"What did you call me for, Greg?" She asked as he handed her a glass.

He shrugged his shoulders. "Why did you come over here?"

"You know! I am not in the mood to play that game again." She said angrily and sighed heavily.

"What is it, Lisa?" He asked worriedly; it wasn't often she was this abrupt with him. He had to fuss at Wayni to lie back down because she was jumping all over Cuddy.

Then she let it all out: losing Melissa as her assistant, explaining how much she resented it because she was good at her job, the death of Rog's parents and telling Rog she was his mother but not that he resigned. His eyebrows shot up when she mentioned the last part.

House shook his head and said, "Lisa, I had no idea he was your son."

"Good. I didn't want anyone to know. I had to tell him first, or was hoping his parents would have. When I hired him I didn't want anyone to know, even if I had told him. Man, he was pissed, more like infuriated, so much so he resigned."

He thought for a moment and asked her if she'd talked to him since he'd come back from his adoptive parents' funeral.

"No, I haven't. Where's Melissa?" She asked.

House shook his head. "I have no idea where she is, or if she's ever coming back." He hesitated a moment. "You want another drink?" He asked as he stood up to pour another from himself.

She frowned as she nodded her head and he took her glass but didn't fail to notice her hand was shaking. He really hated moments like this. He wasn't very good in the 'give advice' area, but he was a bit relieved to know that she chose him to come to. It was good to know they could still rely on each other.

"What are you going to do about Rog?" He asked as he handed her a full glass and sat down next to her.

"There's nothing I _can_ do. It was his decision to leave, and his decision to come back." She said sadly. "Greg, I'm glad you have decided to get custody of Charnie. That little girl needs her father, not a godmother."

"That's not what Wilson thinks." He said disdainfully as he gulped a shot of his liquor.

"Greg," Cuddy said tenderly as she placed her hand on his left knee, "Wilson does care about you as a friend, and Charnie, too. So does Sarah. You have to understand that, understand they did what they thought best for Charnie. Don't you?"

House just shook his head.


	14. Chapter 14

An epidemic rans rampid in the halls of PPTH...and someone dies from it.

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

The next day, Friday, House stayed home, called the lawyer, got some papers that he required and worked on those for better part of the day. He wasn't happy about it, not at all. But he had to do what he had to do and quit complaining no matter how painful his fingers were from writing so much or how stiff his neck was from sitting so long or how hard his head pounded from all the information he had to retrieve from his brain cells.

He had just walked back from the kitchen with his fourth mug of coffee when the doorbell rang. He reluctantly walked to the door without looking through the peephole and saw her standing there with an angry expression on her face. He slowly opened the door.

"You and lover boy have a nasty fight again? Oh, don't tell me you're doped up again. I don't want you to attack me li…"

"Shut up, House!" Cameron screamed at him without taking a step closer to come inside his apartment. "We're not at work so I can pretty much yell at you as much as I want or need to at the moment!"

House slammed the door in her face and stood there counting down from five…four…three…the door bell rang and he opened it again.

"Okay, I deserved that. But you have no idea what you are doing!"

"Oh, please enlighten me, little girl." He said sarcastically.

Her eyes narrowed and seared into his skull. It took her a moment to get over his last comment. "Dr. House, you have completely gone over the edge, there should no longer be any doubt that you should be committed! God only knows what…"

"What in the hell are you talking about?" He demanded.

"It's just that…you shouldn't…it wasn't right…oh, damnit!" She said as she stormed away and slammed the building door behind her.

House rolled his eyes, shook his head and closed the door. He turned to see Wayni staring at him. "Don't ask me, poochie, I don't know what that was about. But that was Cameron. Stay away from her. She's insane."

After she came back from blasting her boss for his stupidity, Cameron turned the lock in her apartment door quietly. She threw the keys on the table in the hall and walked to her spare bedroom, where she found her still sleeping. Ever since she knocked on her door at 3:30 that morning, she slept most of the time, which was a good thing because it'd help with the dt's from no drugs in her system at the beginning stage. But she knew it would only get worse.

She turned and walked to the kitchen to make some soup because she knew her visitor would want some when she woke up. After all, on Cameron's drug binges she always woke up starved.

---Dr. Cuddy sat in her office and looked over some paperwork. She let Cameron go early because she flew through all the paperwork so quickly that she didn't need Cameron's help for the rest of the day.

She hadn't slept much the past few nights worrying about what she was going to do with Rog. She was ever so grateful House was so mature about the whole thing when she went to his place the previous night. Well, she was more relieved he didn't try to get sympathy sex from her, or for her. Cuddy never knew what kind of mood House would be, especially now with trying to get custody of his daughter, Charnie.

---Foreman and Chase sat in the conference room discussing a prior case that really wasn't all that interesting to solve.

"That poor woman must have been in excruciating pain. With her ear pain from TMJ, low-grade fevers, dizziness and headaches and now the CT scan showed the metal from the dental equipment broke off and lodged in the back of her gum. That's just bizarre." Foreman said as he tossed the folder on the table.

"I can't believe her general dentist didn't find that in the first place. When they did mine, they took an extra x-ray of the root, too. I saw it. Pretty cool." Chase responded.

"Oh, don't tell me you never took an improper x-ray." Foreman shot at Chase, who returned his comment with a sneer.

"You know," Chase said to change the subject. "We've really got to do something about no cases coming in. With Cameron working in Cuddy's office she hasn't been going through his mail. Hey, you were _his_ boss before, why don't you go through his mail?"

"I'm afraid I'll find a subpoena or STD results from all his hookers." Foreman answered then they both laughed. "Hey, but seriously, what is Cameron gonna do?"

Chase looked at him with a serious expression. "I don't know, but I don't think it's a good idea for her to get involved. She didn't want to get in the middle of it, either. She told me she never got in the middle of any of her girlfriend's boy troubles before and she didn't want to start now."

"Phfft, considering she's the woman that took the man she had a crush on." Foreman said.

"Yeah, well, she's got me now, and I'm a much better man than House would be to her." Chase shot back.

"Oh, that's not what I heard." Foreman teased back and Chase threw a packet of sugar at Foreman and hit him in the forehead.

Just then the phone on House's desk rang. The two doctors looked at the other as if challenging who would rush to answer his phone.

"I don't want to get it." Foreman protested.

"Why not? I thought you liked answering his phone."

"I did when I was his boss. But not now." Foreman replied.

"Chicken." Chase said as he stood up and headed to the phone. Foreman watched Chase's facial expressions go from boredom to interest to surprise to utter shock. He hung up the phone and headed out the door in a hurry.

"HEY! Where ya' going?" Foreman hollered but Chase didn't respond.

---Back at House's apartment he threw the pen on the table, rubbed his eyes and looked at Wayni sitting on the couch staring at him.

"What? You don't like me now, either? Well, tough!"

Wayni picked her head up and wagged her tail. "Okay, okay. Let's go for a walk." House said as he went through the ritual of getting her ready for her outside adventures.

He opened the door and had to tighten the collar around his neck because a front had come through later that night and the temperature was now 40 degrees with 37 mph wind gusts. Wayni was hesitant to walk outside but House lightly kicked her in the butt and she scurried down the few stairs to the sidewalk. He felt light, cold drops on his face from the drizzle and tilted his head back to feel them cool his face.

He felt Wayni pull at the leash handle in his hand, he looked down at her and she'd taken the leather leash in her mouth to walk herself. That was a little quirk she'd picked up a few days ago. He grinned and followed her down the street and the drizzle changed to snowflakes, coming in sideways from the winds. Wayni barked and jumped up snapping at the flakes that grew bigger. He walked down just a few more rows of townhouses when his cell phone rang.

"House."

"Greg, it's Cuddy. I need you to come into the office immediately."

"What for? It's snowing! The roads are slick and dang..."

"Drive your car and get your ass in here, now." Cuddy demanded then hung up the phone.

House looked at his hone with a look of disgust. "Wayni, you wanna go to the hospital? Cheer up some sick people? Or

maybe bring some back to life?"

---Back at Cameron's apartment she was sitting on the couch watching the afternoon news about the incoming 5-7 inches of snow when she heard scuttling feet come toward her. She looked up to see her recent, temporary roommate rub her eyes and with the other arm hold her stomach.

"How are you feeling, Missy? Better, I hope."

"I feel like crap, thank you very much." She said as she walked to the couch and sat down.

"I made you some soup. You hungry?"

She glared at Cameron. "You're kidding, right?"

"I know food sounds awful right now, but believe me, you'll feel 100 better." Cameron said as she stood up to get her the soup.

"Girl, I'd settle for feeling 20 better right ab..." And she ran off to the bathroom to throw up.

Cameron shook her head as she walked back in the living room, set the cup of soup down and walked into the bathroom. She found Melissa hugging the bowl and dry heaving. She grabbed a washcloth, ran cold water over it and handed it to Melissa. After a few minutes she took control of herself and Cameron helped her back to the couch. Cameron handed her the cup of soup and Melissa drank it slowly. She held the cup in her hand like it was 20 degrees in the apartment.

"Missy, I know it's hard right now, and it's going to get a lot worse. I wish you could stay with you bu..."

"Oh, god, I don't expect you too. I've already started stalking the man and why in the hell did I call Sheila?" She hesitated a moment at the horrendous thought. "I feel bad enough for what I did to Greg and that little girl. She deserves to be with her father."

"I don't think you have to worry about House with Charnie. After all he did for Andie, that little girl just passed away, I saw a whole different side of him." Cameron told Melissa, hoping it would ease her worries. "Uh, I did something really stupid."

"YOU? Do something stupid! I don't believe it." Melissa said with a little smirk.

"I just came back from chewing him out...well, I didn't make any sense but it made me feel better."

"Oh, my god. What did you say?" She asked as she lay her head on the back of the couch.

Cameron laughed at herself. "You know, I'm still asking myself that."

"Allie, I need your help." She said solemnly as Cameron looked at her intently. "I can't live like this anymore. Will you take me back to Princeton-Clarkston Rehab Center? I want him back bu..."

Just then Cameron's phone rang. "Sorry, Missy, this might be work." She said as she picked up the phone, listened a few minutes then hung up.

"Nothing serious, I hope." Melissa said as she closed her eyes.

"I wish it weren't, Missy. I've got to get to the hospital. Will you be okay here alone tonight? I hate to do this to you."

"I don't need to be a burden on you anymore. I'm ready to crash again, anyway." She said as she stood up but swayed a little.

Cameron helped Melissa back to bed. "Help yourself with anything you need. Here's the phone. Do you need me to call Dr. Stafford?"

Melissa sat down on the bed. "No. Thanks for everything, Allie. You're a life saver, girl."

"A lot of people care about you, Missy, they really do. You have to take care of yourself right now. I'll call you as often as I can, okay?"

---Back at PPTH it was 4:30 before everyone was gathered in Dr. Cuddy's office: House, Cameron, Foreman, Chase, Cuddy and Wilson, plus a few more doctors that she had called after Chase stormed into her office earlier that afternoon.

"House, I don't think it's appropriate you brought Wayni here. We are _not_ a dog kennel.." Cuddy snapped as she stood at the edge of her desk.

"But it's gonna snow, boss! I don't want her in the house all alone and freeze to death." House snapped sarcastically, as if he took it as a personal attack, which it was.

"Oh, don't tell me you're just pissed that Angelina Jolie _is_ pregnant with Brad Pitt's baby! As far as that...mutt...precious puppy..." she said sincerely, "you're going to have to do something with her." Cuddy hesitated a moment.

"The reason why I called everyone here so late is because we got a call from the CDC in Atlanta earlier. Four counties in the area have had reports of the Norovirus and Norwalk virus, with eight dead. They wanted to know what our plan of action will be in case we get any cases. First I want to know if anyone has had any patients they believe may have been treated with the same symptoms."

Dr. Lamont, a doctor in the E.R., mentioned he'd had a patient that came in two days earlier with flu-like symptoms. He sent her home for bed rest and plenty of fluids. Cuddy told him to call the patient back as a follow-up to see if the symptoms have worsened.

"Dr., have you been feeling sick the past day or so?" Cuddy asked.

"Just a little nausea but it could be because of my wife's cooking." He answered and everyone laughed a little.

"Okay. Go down to the lab now and get some blood work done. We need to catch it early if anyone has been in contact with a possible infected patient." She said as Dr. Lamont stood up and walked out.

"One down..." House started to say before Cuddy shot him a nasty look and he flung up his shoulders with a head tilt to add a little 'cuteness' that he knew she hated.

"As for the rest of you, I want the same, but if anyone has _any_ symptoms, even if you think it's nothing, I want to be notifed. Are there any questions?" Cuddy asked but no one said a word.

"Now, for the bad news. The CDC has put us all under quarantine." Cuddy informed the doctors. "More security guards will be here shortly..."

Cameron's eyebrows rose in surprise at she thought of Melissa back at her apartment; Foreman shot Chase a look of regret at the thought of leaving Nancy alone; while Chase looked at Cameron and winked; and Wilson squirmed in his chair at the thought of not seeing Sarah and Charlie for a few days.

"You brought us in here under false pretense to tell us we're captives now? Do you have _any_ idea how ludicrous that is! I have no food for Wayni and I have paperw...stuff to do that can't wait! You _know_ that." He shouted.

"Dr. House, this is not a debate match. You have no choice. This isn't coming from me."

"Oh, sure it is! You just told us all..." House snapped but was interrupted by Cameron.

"For how long, Dr. Cuddy?" She finally asked the question everyone wanted to know.

Cuddy looked forlornly at her doctors and shook her head. "Have no idea. There several doctors flying in tonight to the four county hospitals, including ours, to review patient's records just to be on the safe side. There are cots set up downstairs that maintenance did before they lef..."

"You let the night crew go! I bet you just told them they'll be find and dandy?" House said sarcastically.

"They currently are showing no sym...wait, why am I telling you this? You have your orders" She said as she stood and walked behind her desk, sat down and picked up the phone.

The doctors stood up grumbling and walked out except Cameron, who asked House if she could take Wayni around, as a

distraction from the latest emergency and he agreed. Cameron took her leash and walked out, leaving House standing authoritatively in front of Cuddy's desk before the person she called answered.

"Cuddy, you know I have that paperwork to complete for Charnie's custody date in two weeks! Why couldn't you have told me before I came in here so I could have at least brought in the papers? And I even brought Wayni! That was just careless and thoughtless of you."

"Under the circumstances, I think the judge would und..." She started to say.

"BUT YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" House screamed at him. "You can mess with me all you want, but how _could_ you jeopardize my daughter, Lisa! I thought we were friends."

"House, this isn't easy for me, either. I've had to call Rog...well, he wouldn't talk to me, but I talked with his aunt and he's coming in tomorrow morning. We both have someone other than ourselves to worry about now, don't we?" She said rather coldly.

House muttered under his breathe and stormed out of her office but he wasn't quite sure where he was going to go. There were just two patients in the waiting room, the older woman sitting behind the reception desk that didn't like House at all and made it very clear of that fact and a few more people meandering around. He knew of no other place to go except the ob/gyn doctors' lounge which had the best t.v. reception to keep his mind preoccupied. He was pissed with himself he actually sacrificed General Hospital because of filling out the paperwork. He turned on the t.v., sat down and subconsciously reached out for Wayne but remembered Cameron had the puppy.

---Dr. Cuddy threw her head back and ran her hand through her hair. She had spent most of the afternoon getting most patients out of the clinic area and checking with other areas of the hospital on patients that might have been checked in. Luckily there weren't any so her main worry now was the enclave of patients that might be teetering in.

---Wilson walked into his office angry but tried to control it. Not much made him this mad, except when it involved his family. He reluctantly called Sarah and asked her how she and Charlie had been feeling the past few days. She said they'd been fine, not sick at all, and was sorry he had to stay there over the weekend. But she understood his predicament and let him talk to Charlie.

"Hi, Daddy!" He said, oblivious to the current plight.

"Hi, Buddy! I won't be home for a few days so you have to take care of Mommy for me, okay?" Wilson said sadly.

"I will, Daddy! I pwomise! I'll make her dinner tonight! I can nuke Macawoni and Cheese! I LOVE cheese."

"I know you do. Call me whenever you want to, okay? Love ya' Buddy." Wilson said as he hung up the phone. He was so upset he didn't even wait to hear his son say goodbye, which he immediately regretted.

---Foreman, Chase and Cameron all headed to the conference room with Wayni sniffing at every corner and wagging her tail like the hospital was her second home.

"So, what are we supposed to do for the next few days?" Chase sighed.

"You have your crossword puzzles that Foreman can help you with and Foreman needs to beat my high score in Sudoku and I've got Wayni to babysit." Cameron said in her optimistic tone of voice.

Both the male doctors sneered at her and Chase threw a piece of crumpled paper at her. Under the stress they couldn't help but laugh, but the laughter didn't last very long.

Cameron called Melissa in House's office so she could have some privacy. Little Wayni was playing with the laces of House's extra pair of shoes he kept under the desk, although he never wore them; they were more for security than comfort.

"Hey, Missy. How are you feeling?"

"Better, thanks. What's goin' on over there?" Melissa asked groggily.

"Long story. I need you to do something..." Cameron started to say.

Back in Dr. Cuddy's office, she sat at her desk when Dr. Filmore walked in. "We have a problem. Dr. Lamont tested positive for

Norwalk." She said solemnly.

"Damn. Okay, did anyone get in touch with all the patients he saw?" She asked but Dr. Filmore just shook her head.

"Fine. Go ahead and get set up for blood work on everyone else, probably Dr. House's conference room would be good. And ask Dr. Wilson to call the patients that have not been contacted yet. And see if you can find Dr. House. He's around here somewhere. Check the ob/gyn lounge first." She said as Dr. Filmore nodded her head and walked out.

Shortly thereafter Cuddy was about to walk out to check on what everyone was doing when a fully-suited man knocked on her door and she waved him in.

"Dr. Cuddy, I'm Dr. Gerald Firth of the CDC. What preparations have you made and have there been anymore patients or personnel showing symptoms?" He asked as he sat down across from her.

She explained everything that had been set up and he seemed satisfied with the result. Dr. Firth filled Cuddy in with the rest of the plans as Cuddy noticed a swath of security guards come in with rolls of plastic and tables and everything else needed for an epidemic.

The boys were getting bored up in the conference room when the team from the CDC came in and practically destroyed the room by setting up their necessities. Cameron had been off the phone for a few minutes and seemed really irritated by their appearance. Chase picked up on it and walked over to her.

"Allison, why are you so nervous?"

"Robert, I need your help with something, but you have _got_ to keep it quiet!" She whispered as she led him out into the hallway. "Missy is at my apartment. She's awake now and is going to help us do something."

"I thought you said she wasn't."

"Yeah, well, I lied." She shot back with a grin. "We need to find a rope, long enough to get out off a balcony and something big enough to hold something the size of, let's see, Wayni."

"You've got to be joking! How do you expect to pull that off with all these guards around? It'll never happen."

"Just shut up and help me." She said as she took his elbow and led him down the hall.

Dr. Filmore went directly to the lounge and saw him sitting on the couch with his head on the back cushion. She knew who he was but she never had the opportunity to talk to him. She scared him, though, was all she knew. She never was one for confrontation.

"Dr. House?" She said as she pushed the door open. House jerked and turned around with an annoyed expression. "Dr. Cuddy wants us all in your conference room for blood work, please."

"Oh, tell her I do have blood so she doesn't worry." He snapped as he turned his head back around and closed his eyes.

"Dr. House, if you don't mind me say..."

"Actually, I do mind you saying."

"Wow, you really are cranky, aren't you? They were right." She said snottily as she walked out.

House sat there for a second and told himself he had to check on Wayni anyway, then Steve crossed his mind and wondered if he'd fed him before Dr. Cuddy made him 'rush' to the hospital. He had no idea who he was going to call but then remembered the nerdy kid from next door who might just be crazy enough to drive the roads now that the snow had started to blow in. He dialed information on his cell phone and then dialed the kid. House was shocked he was willing to come to the hospital to get his key to get into the apartment. Of course, House threatened the kid's life if there was anything missing and lied that he had the place booby-trapped.

He stood up, stretched and headed to his office. Again, he was shocked to see his conference room and desk turned into a command post. He passed by Wilson's office first and saw him sitting behind his desk on the phone. He glanced up just in time to

see House walk by but House couldn't read the expression on his face. The two men hadn't said a word to the other about anything since their 'fight' earlier in the week.

He pushed the door open to the conference room and asked Foreman where Chase and Cameron went.

"I think they went to find an empty room." He snickered.

"Dr. House? I'm Gerald Firth of the CDC. We need to get blood from all personnel to determine whether anyone else has been infected."

"Anyone else? Oh, Dr. Lamont. He tested positive?" House asked.

"We are not in the position to divulge patient's names, Dr. House. I'm sure you realize that."

House gave him a smirk, pulled out a chair and sat down with is feet propped up on the desk.

"Doctor, would you kindly put your feet down from the desk? We have business to conduct here." Dr. Firth said.

"You have blood to draw. Do it so I can leave." He said curtly.

"No one can leave un..." Dr. Firth started to say.

"I meant leave you. You're so tense. Have you thought of aromatherapy?"

Dr. Firth gave him an aggravated look as he waved to a female technician that looked about 17 in the typical white coat to draw blood from House.

"Please be careful, honey. I bleed easily. I don't cry easily, but maybe you can make me..."

She pulled out his arm rather roughly, prepped his arm and shot the needle in the vein in the crease of his elbow which made House wince a little.

"Did that make you cry? I can try again." She said as she gave him a satisfied grin.

"You're cute. How old are you, 9?" He shot back.

"You may leave now, Dr. House, and please stay away until..._if_ we need you." Dr. Firth said as he nodded his head to the door. House happily walked out and went over to Wilson's office.

Dr. House tried to change his expression before he walked into his friend's office but by the look on Wilson's face he didn't think he succeeded. Wilson didn't say a word to House while he just stood there staring down Wilson.

"What do you want House? I've got like ten people to call and I don't have time for you."

House raised his eyebrows as Wilson's words cut through him. "Don't have time for me? You sure had time for me the hundreds of times Julie kicked you out of the house." House retorted.

"House, that's not what I meant. It's just a bad time."

"It is, isn't it?" House asked as he sat down.

"House, Charnie is doing great. I apologize for the way we handled it but..." House interrupted.

"WE? I don't recall talking to Sarah."

"Sarah agreed. Little C.T. is fine, House. Are you?" Wilson asked sincerely.

Just then House's pager went off. He looked at it briefly, said "that was quick" and walked out as he said, "Bambi came here quick!" And started singing A Spoonful of Sugar Helps the Medicine Go Down as he walked out.

He headed for the office of Dr. Yu, whose office was on the same floor but thankfully far enough away that hopefully no one would know what he was up to. House was grateful Dr. Yu had been off all week. He pulled a credit card out of his wallet, slid it between the door and lock and it easily popped open. He grinned in triumph as he walked through and toward the balcony sliding glass door, unlocked it and walked through as he pulled a key out of his left pocket. He leaned over the balcony and saw the kid stand beside a tall oak tree.

"Hey!" The kid hollered up to him. "You Doc House?"

"No, I'm Dr. Kildare! Here's the key with my cell phone number attached. Call me when you are on your way back over here." House yelled down as he took aim and threw it directly down at him. The kid caught the key in one swift motion.

"Okay, you owe me $100 for this, Doc!" He screamed, waved and walked away.

House turned around to walk back into the office when he saw Cameron and Chase walk down the hall toward Dr. Yu's door. Wayni had her leash in her mouth, Chase carried a cooler and Cameron held a thick, long rope. House never did turn the light on so they didn't see him standing there as Chase put down the cooler, pulled out his own credit card and slid it between the crack, just as House had done earlier. But he'd forgotten to lock it behind him when he came in.

House quickly limped toward the bathroom door in the corner of the office and closed the door just enough to see what the two were up to.

"Robert, it was probably just the maintenance crew that forgot to lock it. It's no big deal. Why are you so paranoid?" Cameron asked as they walked through. "Besides, we should be used to breaking and entering with House's patients. I just don't recall that being mentioned in the interview with him. I'll have to remember the next time I go on one if I'm supposed to break the law."

"Allison, shh! There are guards all over this place! And now with that patient of Dr. Lamont's being brought in we don't have time for this."

_'Please don't have sex! Please don't have sex!'_ House said to himself over and over. _'I think I'll throw up...please don't have sex!'_

"Okay, Missy should be here in about 15 minutes. What do you wanna do now?" Cameron asked seductively.

_'Noooooooooo!'_ House thought to himself then realized she'd said Melissa was going to be there. His mind reeled and from the corner of his eye saw Wayni come sniffing toward the bathroom door. House's stomach dropped as he tried to quietly close the door without being heard and he succeeded. He could hear Wayni's little nose sniff at the crease at the bottom of the door and prayed they wouldn't come into the bathroom.

"Damn, girl! I don't walk around with condoms on me, for pete's sake!" Chase said as he stepped closer to Cameron. "But we could make out." He said slyly.

House heard the last part but was at least glad he wouldn't have to hear them have sex or worse yet, see it. _'Well,' _he thought to himself, _'maybe I could pick up some pointers...OH HELL! What am I thinking! God help me!'_

"Okay, okay. That's enough, Bobbie. We have to rig up the rope to the cooler to get Wayni down to Missy." Cameron said as she pushed Chase away from her.

By the time they were finished Cameron's cell phone rang and she walked out onto the balcony, where Melissa was standing down at the exact spot House's neighbor was standing a few minutes earlier. They talked on the cell phone as Cameron explained to Melissa what she was going to do, and House slowly opened the bathroom door again so he could see the action.

"Okay, we have to keep the lid on the cooler while we let her down so she doesn't fall or cry out...someone might hear her. But trust me, it'll be fast enough that she won't lose any air."

Chase picked up Wayni, set her in the cooler and walked out onto the balcony where Cameron was standing. "Ok, I've got to hang up to lower her down but I'll call you right back." Cameron and Chase got a solid grip on the rope and lowered the cooler down to Melissa.

House thought then would be a good time to sneak out but he had to make sure his puppy made it down okay. _'But why the hell is Missy here? Oh, that sneaky Cammie!' _House thought to himself as he continued to watch the two struggle with the rope as Wayni was moving more than they expected her to.

They both let out a sigh of relief as Cameron grabbed her cell phone and dialed Melissa's. "Great! I left some money in the cooler to buy her food. Thanks soo much, Missy." She said then listened to Melissa talk for a brief moment. "I will. We better get back in and you better get out of here! I'll call you later."

House watched the two high-five each other and walk out the door, making sure it was locked before they walked away.

Dr. Cuddy walked through the halls of PPTH inspecting the current condition of her hospital: there were cots lined up against walls with metal stands to hold bags of medicine drips; two-and-three drawer cabinets filled with syringes, gauzes and the like; voices echoed through the then empty halls. Dr. Firth decided the clinic had more space than the E.R. to set up initial patients and leave the E.R. for patients that were in the worst shape.

Outside came the screams of a siren that pulled up front at the clinic entrance. She looked down at her watch to see that it was only 8:00 pm. "Oh, this is going to be a long night." She said to herself.

Dr. Lamont's patient earlier in the week, Vicky Smithers, was brought into an exam room for initial diagnosis. Dr. Lamont himself was already in a room set up for six patients to join him, and Vicky would be his first roommate. Her symptoms were much worse that the Dr.'s, with vomiting, severe stomach cramps, headache and a temperature of 102.9. A few doctors asked her a round of questions while nurses inserted fluids for dehydration and antibiotics, which more than likely would have no effect.

Dr. Cuddy realized this crisis was for real and decided to go upstairs and prep her staff on what to expect now that two patients were there. When she walked into the conference room she asked her team to meet her in Wilson's office next door, where House and Wilson seemed to make amends, for the moment's predicament, it seemed.

"House, where's Wayni?" Dr. Cuddy asked as she took a seat in front of the gang.

"Yeah, Cameron, Chase? Where's Wayni?" House asked with a sly grin.

Chase shot Cameron a guilty look. "She's around here somewhere. She got hold of the leash and ran off." She lied.

House shook his head because he knew the real scoop. Cuddy filled everyone in with the two new cases and assigned Foreman and Chase to them, with orders to wear protective masks, like they didn't already know that.

"Dr. Firth also needs an update on the possible cases that might have come in the past week. Have there been any, Wilson?"

"A few possible cases, but no other symptoms than regular stomach ailments."

"Okay. Can you keep in contact with them?" Cuddy asked as Wilson nodded his head. "I need everyone to keep their cell phones and pagers on." She said looking directly at House, who responded with a roll of his eyes.

Cameron was the last one to head out the door and House called her back in.

"Wilson, don't you have to go to the bathroom or something?" House asked.

"Actually, no." He answered.

"Yes, you do." Wilson suddenly realized what House wanted then walked out. "Have a seat, Dr. Cameron." House said tersely as she did so.

"So, where is my little puppy?"

She twisted in her chair as she thought of what she was going to tell him where she was without giving too much information out.

"I had a friend come get her." She said truthfully.

"Aw, I see. And who might that friend be?"

"It doesn't matter. She's at my place and she'll be safe."

"How's Missy?" He finally asked, irritated that she was not being honest with him.

"How should I know, Dr. House? I haven't talked with her." She flat out lied.

"Did you know breaking and entering into a Dr.'s office is illegal?" He asked as he noticed her face turn a shade of red.

"That never stopped you from having us do it to patient's homes."

"Cameron, when did Melissa come to your place?"

Her face turned completely red this time now that she'd been caught. "This morning. How did you know?"

"Don't you know by now I know _everything_? Is she okay?" He asked genuinely.

"Yes, she's fine. But I don't think you want to be talking to me if you need to know anything about her." She said as she stood up and walked toward the door.

"Thanks, Cameron…for taking care of Wayni." She stopped at the door, turned back around and nodded her head.

Within a few hours, ten new patients had been brought in from area hospitals. Cuddy met Dr. Firth in the hallway and he told her there were now over 50 cases in area hospitals and the next few hours were going to be hell with the overflow of patients. She calmly told him she had already briefed her doctors and they were ready.

She walked into her office, sat behind her desk and looked out the window at the snow that was just beginning to blanket grassy spots and lightly blew over the streets. She thought of Rog flying in the following morning and grew apprehensive as thoughts went over and over in her head, which she hated to do to herself.

Shortly, all the doctors were downstairs reviewing case after case of patients that had slowly begun to come in. Cuddy went to the reception desk and watched with pride at her staff for how well they were organized. Vicky, the first patient to be brought in, had lapsed into a coma. The paramedics brought in her little sister who was just showing the first symptoms of the flu-like virus.

One of the maintenance crew had been admitted with mild symptoms, which was expected because if anyone would have been in close contact with an infected person it would have been one of them. Dr. Chase walked out of the exam room from examining him and ran into Cameron in the hall, who was on her way to another exam room.

"Robert, are you feeling okay? You look pale."

"Fine, fine." He simply said as he walked past her, but gave her a wink. "Hey, have you seen House? We need him."

"He's hiding. You know him."

Later that night, Melissa sat on Cameron's couch watching the evening news with Wayni asleep on her chest, which she assumed knocked her out from hearing her own mother's heartbeat. She anxiously awaited any news about what was going on at the hospital but nothing was mentioned. Cameron didn't give her any information earlier and she was starting to worry. It was a lot easier for her to worry about someone else than it was for herself.

A little while later the phone rang loudly and startled her awake just as David Letterman was announcing his next guest, Hugh something-or-other. Wayni growled and flew over on her back on the couch by Melissa's side after being slightly thrown from off her chest. She groggily, but eagerly reached for the phone and picked it up.

"Allie?" There was a moment of silence on the other end before she said, "Hello?"

"It's not Allie." Came a male voice she instantly recognized and she became queasy, not from being sick but from hearing his voice unexpectantly.

"Hi, Greg." She said nervously.

"Hey." Another moment of silence as they both fought to find the words, any words, to express what they were feeling, which never really seemed to be a problem before.

"How are you, Missy?" He asked tensely.

"Good, yourself?"

"Good. Where's Wayni?"

"She's giving me the evil eye to go outside right now." She answered with a little giggle. "Greg, what's going on at the hospital?"

"It's just a minor epidemic, nothing to worry about. Missy?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you okay?" He asked.

She threw back her head and closed her eyes, took a deep breathe and answered, "I will be." She paused a moment. "Greg, you don't know how bad I feel about what I did to you and calling Sheila an…I shouldn't have done that…it was none of my business and I'm sorry…" She muttered one word after the other too fast as she always did when she was nervous and under stress.

"Missy, please. Don't do this, not now. Do you think we can talk when this mess is over with?"

Melissa opened her eyes and looked at Wayni, who began sniffing at the front door to go potty. "Greg, I've got to go now. Wayni needs to go outside or I'll have a mess to clean up."

"Okay. Missy?"

She smiled to herself before she answered him. "Yeah, G-Diddy?"

He smiled to himself at that before he said. "I still love you," then quickly hung up without hearing her response. And her response was the tears that filled her eyes as she grabbed her coat and took Wayni to do her business.

House sat and stared at the phone for a second wondering why the hell he said that. But he had to play Scarlet O'Hara for a while and 'put it off for another day'. He grudgingly headed down to the clinic to see what had progressed since he'd been sleeping for the past few hours.

Which as it turned out, he wished he never had gone down. There were now 37 patients in exam rooms, and a few in the hallways. He stood watching Cuddy walk toward him.

"Where were you? We needed you down here hours ago." She snipped as she made a few notes in a patient's folder and placed it back on the counter, grabbing another one.

When he didn't answer she said, "We lost Vicky Smithers and three others." She said desperately. "This has got to be over, and soon."

At that point, Chase and Cameron walked down the hall toward them. Cuddy noticed his forehead was a bit sweaty and he looked pale, still.

"Chase, are you sick or have you two been doing the wailing horizontal mamba?" House asked, and all three doctors yelled at him to shut up at the same time as the three walked away from him to an exam room.

"Well, if I had known it was going to be that easy…" House said out loud as he headed to another one of his secret hiding spots.

In the exam room, Dr. Cuddy asked Chase a few questions while Cameron set up an IV then placed a thermometer in his mouth.

"You should have come to me as soon as you felt sick, Chase!" Cuddy said angrily. "Well, nothing to do now but let it run its course. You better hope it's not as serious as the others." She said as she walked out.

Cameron fussed at him a little bit more until the 'ready' beep went off on the thermometer. She took it out of his mouth and looked at it, frowning. "102.4. Yep, congratulations! And Mom is right. You better _hope_ you aren't gravely ill." She said then leaned in and kissed his cheek through the face mask.

The remaining hours on the night shift were chaotic and stressful yet everything had been running smoothly. The sun had just risen and Cuddy's staff was able to get an hour of shut eye. A few part-time doctors, Wilson, Foreman, House and Cuddy had settled into the lounge on cots, except for Cameron, who chose to stay with Chase.

Cuddy tried to sleep but couldn't because she was too anxious about the thought of seeing Rog in a few hours. She'd decided to let the current crisis pass before she'd have the talk with Rog about what his plans were. Which, she hoped, were to come back to PPTH. She sighed, opened her eyes and looked around the room, catching House lying on his arm and staring at her.

"It's ok. They're all still out. You okay?" House asked as he winked.

She smiled back at him and nodded her head. She heard a cot squeak and looked up to see House sitting up and leaning in to be closer to Cuddy so he could whisper.

"Cuddy? Do you think I'd be a good father?" He asked nervously.

"Greg, from what I've seen so far, yes. It's an adjustment period for any parent. Are you really worried about it?"

"Of course I am. When Stacy first told me she was pregnant I didn't know what to think. But since Charnie's been with me the past few weeks I've grown a lot."

"To be fair, and not to make this sound harsh but Melissa was with you. She's not anymore; it's never been just you and C.T. Do you think you can handle it, just you two?" She asked but he was thoughtful for a moment but didn't reply.

"Greg, you know you have plenty of support, especially from me and Wilson, at least. And if you need anything else let me know, ok?" She said sincerely. He nodded his head and gave her a half-grin.

"When is Rog coming in? He asked.

"His flight lands at 8:45." She answered.

House nodded his head as Foreman moaned and turned over in the cot. House rolled his eyes and said, "Wet dream," which made Cuddy laugh until her pager went off.

She looked at it, frowned, stood up quickly and said, "Come with me." Cuddy's tone of voice startled House and he followed her out of the lounge.

They rushed down to the room where Chase had been previously admitted and House instinctively went to check on him but Cuddy pulled at his elbow and pulled back the curtain to the most recent patient.

Lying on the hospital bed surrounded by a clear plastic sheet that surrounded her from the top of the bed to just at her waist was an unconscious Melissa.

House stood at the foot of her bed and stared at the thick oxygen mask over her mouth and tubes that came from the insides of both of her arms. Her breathing was thick, fluid-sounding and very shallow. House looked at Cuddy like he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"What's her condition?" He asks as he steps toward the monitor to check out her vitals.

"Temp 105.4, pneumonia has already set in, and with her immune system compromised..." She answered but stopped herself when she saw him lean over her, slide his hand under the plastic sheet and rub her cheek. She quietly stepped away and snuck out the door to give House and Melissa time..._'to say goodbye.'_ She thought to herself.

House stood at Melissa's bed for half an hour or so watching the sweat from the fever drip down her cheeks. He gently wiped it away and dried her wet forehead with his hand. She mumbled incoherently and House, out of frustration at not being able to see her actually face to face, pulled down the plastic canvas from her face and laid his head on her chest.

He closed his eyes, listened and felt her heartbeat then smiled as he recalled all the good times they'd had together, and prayed for more of the same as soon as she recuperated. Her breathing became more laborious and he could hear the fluid in her lungs gurgle against his ear.

"Missy, god, please, don't leave me. I need you." He moaned as he tried to keep back his tears. "_We_ need you." He let the tears fall then felt a hand touch the back of his head. He looked up at her face and smiled.

"heydoc..." She mumbled weakly. He brushed the palm of his hand against her cheek and held her face in his hand. With her right hand she reached for the oxygen mask and pulled it off her mouth.

"You need to keep that on, baby." He said as he grabbed the mask and tried to put it back over her mouth.

"I...m tired...Doc...wanna talk...you bef...I go." She whispered as she put her hand on his left cheek.

"Don't talk like that!"

"No...no...ready..." She said as a tear rolled down her temple. "Waynis at Cams...fine.."

Melissa's breath became sporadic, her eyes remained open but grew blank as she whispered, "iloveyou" between only exhales, her chest rose in its last exhale of life and the monitor behind him beeped a solid wail.

"Noooo noooo!" He sobbed uncontrollably for the longest time, saying 'i love you' over and over until he had no more tears left.

He leaned in to her lips and gently kissed them for the last time. Finally he got his composure, completely removed the plastic canvas and lovingly covered her entire body with the bedsheet.

He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath and walked out into the hall, where he saw Cuddy standing just across the doorway. She looked at him empathetically but he turned right and walked to the elevator, where he was met by Cameron who had just come back from the cafeteria with some food for Chase, whose fever had finally come down and his prognosis for a full recovery was excellent.

Cameron noticed his eyes were red and swollen and was curious to ask what was wrong but she decided against it. She leaned against the wall and closed her eyes for a minute when she heard him say something, which she had to ask her to repeat because she wasn't sure she'd really heard what she thought she heard.

House nodded his head and said, "Missy just died," then he bolted out through the sliding doors just as they opened before she could say a word.

He walked into the conference room but forgot that it had been turned into the command post. He looked at Foreman who sat in a chair at the table but he didn't look right to him. House walked to the coffee machine, poured a cup and turned back around, just in time to see Foreman stand up then collapse to the floor.

"Another one bites the dust." House said then headed back out the door, totally ignoring the other doctors who helped Foreman up to take him down with the other ill patients.


	15. Chapter 15

Our little House doesn't feel so good...and Chase deteriorates.

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

A little past 9:00 am that same morning it was still windy and snowing, with about 6" of snow on the ground. Dr. Cuddy sat behind her desk anxiously awaiting Rog's return because his help was desperately needed. She still had no idea how she was going to handle the situation but she'd had worse ones to handle. Right now her mind was set on the grim state at the hospital.

Chase and Foreman were now patients and Chase was in worse shape than Foreman. Cameron had been attending her two friends as best she could as well as assisting other new patients. Chase's fever had spiked the last hour and he had begun to vomit excessively. His red blood count had last been reportedly dangerously low, which meant his anti-bodies weren't fighting off the infection that raged through his veins. To make matters worse, Chase had begun to hallucinate the last two hours. Wilson did the best he could with diagnosing incoming patients but he had just started to get an attitude about being at the hospital because he really wanted to be home with his family. It was the first time in his life (married life) that he'd had that thought, which made him smile). He'd even thought about starting a fight with House but knew he'd lose because House had his own issues to deal with.

House had actually seen quite a few patients; not because he was needed to assist in the enclave of patients but because he needed to harass someone (anyone) so his mind would stay clear of any thought of Melissa and of possibly losing his daughter, Charnie.

He was in exam room 2 with a line of patients waiting outside the door as he heard their health complaints and would either send them to Admittance or would hand them a piece of paper to allow them to leave. He would see patient after patient and he'd accomplished it rather swiftly by saying only one word: either 'congrats' or 'leave.'

The thought of ducking out and finding a nice, quiet place just crossed his mind when Dr. Gerald Firth, project director at the CDC, popped his head in the door and told House there was to be a meeting in the conference room in 15 minutes.

"But, Doc! I have that line of people to see and just can't make it, but thanks for asking." House told him.

"Actually, I didn't ask you. I told you. 15 minutes, please." Dr. Firth answered and walked out.

"He admires me soo much he asks me to ALL his meetings." He told his patient with a sarcastic grin.

Almost half an hour went by before House walked into the conference room with about 15 doctors and nurses who looked completely exhausted, including Drs. Cameron, Cuddy and Wilson. They'd work around sleep-shifts so they could rest for a few hours, but after more than 12 hours of non-stop craziness it just started to take its toll. Shifts that were 12+ the doctors were used to, but within that time frame there would always be a lull in activity. The difference with the current situation was its continuity of incoming patients without, it seemed, time to breath.

House noticed the look of anger on Dr. Firth's face as he'd looked as his watch.

"Sorry, had a meeting in the bathroom first. Please continue." He said as he stood in the corner of the room trying to look interested in what was going on.

"As I was saying," He continued, "The reports from the other hospitals are they are still receiving patients, most of them in critical condition. I need to get an update from you, Dr. Cuddy, on the number of admittances and deaths within the past 12 hours."

Dr. Firth stopped talking just long enough to wave Rog in. A few doctors greeted him back and he took a seat as far away from his mother as he could to find a chair. Dr. Cuddy smiled at Rog as he sat down but it faded just as quickly when he didn't look at her. Of course, House caught all of this but she seemed too ashamed to look at him.

"I must warn you, the next 24-48 hours will be the worst. I must also insist that every single one of you, including techs through-out the building, wear sterile gloves and face masks that cover both your nose and your mouths. In my opinion there have been what, four doctors that have been afflicted, and we need as many doctors as we can find. Everyone must do what they can to prevent any further contamination. This particular strain seems resistant to all known antibiotics out there. We've already tried them all."

He stopped talking for a moment to turn to the dean of the hospital. "Dr. Cuddy, I must commend you on your organizational ability to have this hospital run smoothly. I don't believe I've had the pleasure of working in such a successfully structured emergency situation."

She nodded her head with a faint smile and Dr. Firth said a few more meaningless words (which, to House, they all were) then dismissed the crew, reminding them to wear their protective gear.

House didn't move as we watched what might transpire between long-lost mother and son, but Rog was able to sneak out after Dr. Firth cornered Cuddy and she wasn't able to follow him out. He noticed the sadness in her face as she tried to hold it together while she talked. House stood there until everyone left before he grabbed Cuddy's arm as she was about to walk out.

"Cuddy, when was the last time you slept? You look awful." House said.

She looked up at him and for an instant looked relieved at the thought. "Oh, geez, thanks. And you need a shave. But I've got too much to do. There's no w..."

"Cu...Lisa, you're not going to do yourself any good, or this hospital, if you don't get some sleep."

"House, I can't."

"Don't argue with me, woman! Now come on!" House said as he grabbed her arm and led her out into the hall. "Besides, we need to talk."

House and Cuddy sat down on two cots that were in the doctor's lounge. The other doctors were still downstairs tending to the sick.

"Greg, I don't know how this is happening. Chase is on a ventilator now, and I'm having to fight with Cameron to see other patients and there's Rog who hasn't said a word to me and..."

He leaned over and put his hand on her knee. "Lisa, there will be plenty of time for you two to talk. Now just lie down and rest."

"Since when have you gotten so bossy?"

"Uh, since I've lost Melissa, and Stacy, and I sure as hell don't want to lose you, too." He said sincerely.

"Ok, you're scaring me. Do you have a fever?" She said as a weak attempt at humor.

He smiled back at her. "Be afraid. Be VERY afraid." He said as he laid down on the cot and stared at Cuddy for her to do the same.

---Downstairs in admittance the hustle and bustle hadn't quieted down at all. Dr. Firth was running the show. He had just gotten off the phone with Dr. Nguyen at the lab to tell him she confirmed seven more cases of Nirovirus, with 23 more to test for. He ran his fingers through his hair and prayed it wouldn't get any worse.

---In Chase's room, Cameron had taken a few minutes to check up on him and he didn't look very good. His breathing was slow and very shallow; she was afraid his lungs were filling up with fluid. He hadn't regained consciousness since last night and he was still hallucinating. He wasn't responding to the antibiotics and his fever remained at 102.8.

"Robert," she whispered in his ear. "if you make it out of here in one piece, I'll promise you I'll marry you. My parents like you and I like you an..." She felt the tears roll out of her eyes but didn't bother to wipe them away.

"Ok, well, we'll have to be engaged for a year but then I'll marry you." She said but didn't know why.

She laid her head on his chest and closed her eyes just for a second. The next thing she knew her pager went off and she looked down at it. 'Rog-lobby'.

She sighed, looked over Chase's vitals, which were stable. Not good, but stable. She kissed the tips of her fingers and brushed them against Chase's lips then headed down to the lobby. She glanced at her watch; it read 2:30 pm Saturday; she'd slept for 30 minutes.

_'This weekend is going by too slow.'_ She thought to herself in the elevator.

Cameron was in desperate need of coffee but she waited until she got with Rog so they could get coffee together. She hadn't had a chance to talk to him when she saw him in the conference room, and he didn't know Melissa had passed away the night before. She saw Rog standing next to Dr. Firth going over some charts.

"What's up?" She asked as she approached them.

"I'll get on those right away." Rog said to the Dr. as he watched him walk away.

"How have you been, Rog?" She asked.

"You want some coffee?" Rog asked as he walked away from her.

She had to skip pretty fast to catch up with him. "Yes! And Rog, I've got some bad news for you."

He shook his head. "I know. Carmen told me about Melissa when I first got here." He said matter of fact and it seemed to Cameron very unemotional.

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, there's not much more that can happen to me that I can't handle, Allison." He said coldly.

All Cameron could do was nod her head. They walked down the hallway and over the intercom a woman's voice hollered, 'CODE BLUE ROOM 412. CODE BLUE 412.' Cameron's stomach dropped to the floor.

"Oh, my god!" She said quietly and ran off toward the elevator.

"Allison, wait up!" Rog called after her.

"THAT'S ROBERT'S ROOM!" She said just as the elevator doors closed between them.

When Cameron rushed into Chase's room there were several nurses and doctors working on reviving him. The monitor gave a steady beep to indicate he had stopped breathing.

"Allison, let them tak…" Rog started to tell Cameron as he entered the room and held her back from assisting. His grip was firm enough to succeed.

The two stood by helpless as they watched the doctor holler for paddles and after several attempts of shocking his heart the monitor started to bleep a regular heartbeat.

"He's in sinus rhythm." The doctor said relieved as the nurses continued to do their job in stabilizing him.

As Cameron let out the breathe she'd been holding for the past few minutes Rog gripped her shoulder harder, as if in affirmation that Chase was going to be okay.

"Allison, let's go."

"Rog, I can't just leave him." She protested.

"When did you last get sleep?" He asked her.

"I don't remember." She answered bluntly.

"Come on." He said as he tried to escort her out of the room.

"No…no…"

"Tough!" He said and forced her out into the hallway to the doctor's lounge, where House and Cuddy were sleeping soundly on their cots.

"Allison, how's Eric? I hear he got 'bit', too." Rog asked because the silence between them was killing him.

"Much better than Robert. He'll be fine." She answered as she reached for the lounge door.

"Of course, Allison, they'll both b…" Rog started to say but ended mid sentence as he opened the door and saw his mother and House asleep on cots.

"Oh, I forgot something. You get sleep and I'll check on you later." Rog whispered so as not wake the two.

But in his awkward, clumsy way when he turned around to walk away his foot got caught between the door and Cameron's foot which caused him to trip on his own feet. He grabbed the wall for support but it wasn't the wall; it was a shelf with various metal instruments on it. He successfully stopped himself from falling but did succeed in the instruments crashing to the floor in a horrendous scream.

They heard Cuddy call out as the door closed between them and they both got on their knees to pick up the instruments. Rog prayed Cuddy wouldn't come out in the hall until he was able to get away, but that wasn't Rog's luck. Rog had forgotten to get in the 'Lucky' line before he was born; he spent too much time in the 'clumsy' line.

"Cam…Rog?" Cuddy said as she opened the door and saw the two on their knees.

"Oh, no! What did Rog knock over now?" House hollered from the lounge as he sat up but was in no hurry to stand and leave.

"Sorry, Dr. Cuddy, really." Cameron said apologetically as she grabbed the last of the equipment and placed them back on the shelf Rog had straightened back up.

"It's ok. What ti…3:35? I can't believe I've been asleep for two hours." Cuddy said as she was about to turn around to get House up when he walked through the door.

"How many scalpels hit the little lady on the way down?" House teased as he saw the three oddly standing there just staring at each other. Well, Rog was staring at the floor because he couldn't quite face his mother yet.

Cameron shot him a nasty glance before she gave them the update on Chase.

"Well, you two have some catching up to do." House said as he walked by Cameron, put his arm around her shoulder and forced her down the hall, under her disapproval. She had gotten used to House and not question things he did sometimes; well, that was a lie but she was too tired to really care.

Dr. Cuddy and her son, Rog stood in the hall like a squirrel looks at a shelled peanut, not quite sure how to attempt getting to the nut inside.

"How have you been, Rog?" Cuddy asked nervously. "Do you want to go back in the lounge?"

"No, I've got to get back downstairs."

"Rog, I know you've had a diff..."

"You have NO idea!" He said and stormed away.

Cuddy could do nothing but watch him as he walked away. She felt the tears build up in her eyes and she walked off to the bathroom to freshen up a bit before she headed back downstairs. She stood in front of the mirror at the sink and looked at the reflection, a reflection of someone she didn't know anymore.

Her eyes had dark circles underneath even though she'd slept hard and for two solid hours. She just wished Rog understood why she put him up for adoption, although she didn't think he'd fully come to terms with it. All she could do was pray that he'd eventually understand.

House walked into the conference room to get coffee before he headed upstairs, although he was only just putting off the inevitable: having to go downstairs and see actual patients.

Dr. Firth greeted him with a snide, "Where have you been, Dr. House? We have a major backlog downstairs and we can't afford to lose the little amount of doctors we have now."

House just shot him a dirty look, headed to his office and grabbed his Purple Onion Monster game and walked out without saying a word to anyone.

He had been meaning to call his mom but he didn't think they'd hear the news all the way up in Michigan. He really didn't want to hear her barrage of questions, even though he knew she was just being concerned about him. He finally came to the conclusion he'd call her after the crisis was over.

As he walked down the hall toward the elevator he got a little dizzy and had to stop and lean against the wall for a few minutes. He thought it was because he hadn't eaten much and had been under non-stop work mode that his body was just pitching a fit. But then he got a chill that ran from his toes to his head and he was suddenly cold, and then realized he felt achy. He wiped his forehead and for a split second he thought he felt clammy, but again he attributed it to being so tired.

He shook it off and headed to the lobby. It had been a few hours since he'd been downstairs and he was shocked at the number of patients that had been admitted. It was absolutely chaotic.

"House! Over here! We need you!" He heard a male calling but for just a split second he seemed to zone out for a minute. "HOUSE!"

He finally turned to where the voice was coming from and saw Wilson leaning over a bed holding down a patient. There were two other nurses who were struggling with the man's legs while another Dr. was trying to give him a sedative.

House reluctantly walked to Wilson, rested his cane on the side of the bed, took the syringe from the doctor and in two seconds flat had injected the man in his left thigh. The other doctor helped Wilson hold the man's arms down until the sedative kicked into his system.

"Man, what is your problem! I yelled for you like 4-5 times!" Wilson fussed as the man slowly resisted and he fell unconscious.

"Sorry. Thought I saw Angelina walking down the hall." He lied as he turned to walk back out after he grabbed his cane.

But the first step he took suddenly there was a loud ringing in his ears and he lost his balance. His cane hit the corner of the chair leg and he went down.

"HOUSE!" Wilson screamed as he ran to him. "Hell, buddy! You don't look so good..."

While House is comatose as a patient in the hospital infected with the Norovirus, he has incredible dreams and hallucinations...

_THE TALES OF VICODIN HARRY AND THE FIVE N.J. DOCTORS_

"Hi - Hooooooooo! ECHO Hi - Hoooo! Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's off to work we go...whistle whistle whistle whistle, Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Hi Ho!"

The Five N.J. Doctors all skip into the lobby of PPTH on a bright, spring morning. The birds are chirping, the kitties are purring, the flowers are blooming and the dogs are fetching. Nothing could be any better than this adventurous place on earth for the Five N.J. Doctors.

Dr. Flirty walks in and gropes the nurse at the reception desk while grasping his pocket organizer; Dr. Whiney complains his Dad died without telling him; Dr. Ice-F walks in like an arrogant, pompus jerk; Dr. Clueless walks in and immediately wonders where her lovey-dovey boss is and Dr. Bossy walks straight to her office to meet with the hospital lawyer, Stupida and Dirtbag from the board on the latest case of neglect.

"And when can we expect to see Vicodin Harry, Dr. Bossy?" Dirtbag asks as he wipes flakes of dirt from his new $1,258 leather, custom-made pair of shoes.

"The last time I saw him he was after some witch with an apple. I think it was Roberta, the Wicked Witch of Accounting. Wait, Dr. Flirty, didn't you go out with her once?"

Dr. Flirty looks at her with a sarcastic expression. "At least I am not on "JewDate" like some people in this office but I won't mention Dr. Bossy names Dr. Bossy." He shoots back as he adjusts his wedding ring.

"Enough you guys..." Dr. Whiney whines.

"Oh, please! Stop with that, will ya! I am sooo sick of hearing that!" Dr. Ice-F fusses as he checks to make sure he has the same pair of sneakers on that his boss, Vicodin Harry, has. "I'll come after all y'all with my street buddies and we'll bash in some skulls!"

"All right, children! All of you just stop it." Stupida yells. "Ah, there's Vicodin Harry now!"

Dr. Ice-F smiles as he sees he his wearing the same pair of sneakers that the man he soooooo admires is wearing the same.

"About time you got here, Vicodin Harry. I wouldn't be surprised if your Mamma smacked ya cuz she was in labor with you for two weeks!" Dirtbag shoots out as he watched Vicodin Harry walk to the coffee machine, pour coffee into his favorite red mug and turns around and smiles smugly.

"Actually, it was four weeks of labor, and it was well worth the pain, don't you think?" Vicodin Harry replies.

"Vicodin Harry, where is your cane? You aren't limping." Dr. Clueless asks him as she bats her eyelashes and crosses her legs - Sharon Stone style in 'that' movie.

Vicodin Harry's eyes bug out of their sockets and he says, "Hey, it's my dream! I don't need a cane to walk...and I don't need to stuff the front of my pants and I can have Angelina Jolie _and_ Carmen Electra...AT THE SAME TIME!"...

...The next thing he hears is water crashing on a shore and someone calling "Gilligan! Where are you? Gilligan!" He turns into the trees and sees a thin, short blonde man walk toward him in a red shirt and gray pants that were too big for him.

"Skipper, I haven't seen Gilligan. Where's your pocket protector, Ace?" He says.

"Well, Professor, the last time I saw him he was with Ginger in the cave and they were both nekkid and..oh, it was a horrible sight, let me tell you! I think she nipped into the 'special coconut' batch! Hey, have you found out about that mysterious illness affecting the local chimps?" Skipper asks the Professor.

"Heck, no, Skipper! Not with that Ginger crawling all over me and begging to go out with me and stuff! It's horrible! I mean, there really isn't anywhere to GO on this stupid desert isle!"

MUSIC Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, a tale of five fateful doctors. That started on the not-so tropic port of Princeton, New Jersey.

The Skipper got them all lost while filing divorce papers, Professor was a snarky sailing man with no cane or sense of direction,  
The Mate was Austrailian that knows he isn't British...

...uncharted desert isle...with Gilligan, the Skipper, too...that hottie Ginger and Mary Ann, Mr. Howell, who lost his wife, here on Gilligan's Isle! END MUSIC 

Skipper and the Professor walk back to camp where they were met by Mary Ann, who was drawing up the next plan of action to get everyone off the island because she had a business meeting with a scrooge, Edwina Vogloser.

"Did you find Gilligan?" Mary Ann asks as she hands the Professor a ripe pineapple.

"Hey, where's the Scotch to go with my pineapple!" The Professor fusses.

Just then Gilligan and Ginger crawl out from behind the bushes with their hair messed up and she's wearing a stupid expression on her face.

"Mr. Howell! You missed it! I ran into some hidden cash with your name written all over it! But since you squealed on the Professor and got us all lost, it's mine, now! You can't have it! Neener Neener Neener!" Gilligan says as he walks to the table and bites into the Professor's pineapple without even asking...

...The next thing the Professor knows is he's standing in the middle of a living room, straight out of the 60's, and this blonde is standing in front of him.

"Hi. I'm Samantha! My husband Darren is at work. Want me to get rid of that pain in your leg for you so you never have to use that cane again?" She asks as she twitches her nose...

...The next thing he knows he's inside a bottle with a circular couch and a chandelier hanging in the center, straight out of Alladin.

"Master! Oh, Master! I was soooo worried about you!" He hears a woman say as a blonde with a pony-tail and bikini showers him with Scotch and chocolate and steak and Reuben sandwiches...

……………..Greg House is about 12 years old and his sister, LizBeth, is 6. It is her first day at kindergarten and he's helping her get her things together in her backpack in the living room. Their father is in the kitchen eating breakfast before he drops her off.

"Elizabeth Ann! I told you to get that stuff packed last night. Greg, stop helping her!" He belts out between bites of toast with jam.

Greg and LizBeth look at each other and Greg rolls his eyes with a reassuring smile to let her know not to worry about him fussing and continues to check off a list of her required supplies she needs to bring with her.

He whispers, "Okay, little lady, looks like you're all set. You look fab! You ready to go?"

"Greg, why can't you come wiff me? I don't wanna go with Dad. Can't you jus' sit 'n the back seat?" She whispers back sadly.

"Aww, I told you, Brett and I have band practice at 8:30. And if you don't get a move on you're gonna be late for your big day." He tells her softly as he ushers her to the kitchen.

"How do I look, Daddy?" She asks excitedly with a huge smile on her face.

"You're wearing THAT dress? Didn't your mother leave out another one? And you need to comb your hair." He scoffs and he looks back at reading the morning's newspaper.

Instantaneously her face becomes heartbreaking and her smile disappears. Greg picks up on her reaction so he takes her by the hand and leads her out the door to the porch, saying, "We'll wait for Dad out here will he finishes eating."

Greg leans against the column while LizBeth sits on the bench.

"Why is Daddy so mean to me?" She asks dejectedly.

"I don't know. I just don't know"………………………………………………………

……………………….The next thing he knows he's a couple of years younger and he's in the grocery store with his Dad in the produce section. His father is picking out a grapefruit for dinner that night and Greg tries to help out by picking up a couple, mimicking his dad's movements and decides the third fruit is the most ripe.

"Here ya go, Dad. This seems right." He says proudly as he hands the grapefruit to his Dad.

"That's no good! What is _wrong_ with you? You are so useless"……………………………………….

...The next thing Greg knows is he's lying in bed with Stacy's head nestled against his chest and running his fingers through her hair while he hums the title song to The Flintstones, the movie they'd seen earlier that day on their 'first date'. He'd planned going to the movie for a week to surprise her because they'd talked about cartoons they grew up watching and she'd said the Flintstones was her favorite. He hadn't anticipated having to apologize profusely as they walked out of the movie theatre.

But he can't help lying there with a smile on his face as he keeps hummer, louder and louder as he's trying to wake her up from her 'nap' after they'd just made love for the first time.

"Uh, Greg?" She softly whispers.

"Hmmmph?"

"After that horrible movie we just saw, the Flintstones aren't my favorite anymore so you can quit humming."

"Well, if I had read the movie reviews and seen how stupid a movie it was we would have gone to see Clear and Present Danger. I know you women just 'die' over Harrison Ford." Greg says teasingly.

"You're just jealous." She snipes back then giggles softly.

"HEY! I am not! He's not lying here with you, I am! He should be jealous of ME!" He says as he playfully rolls over until he's lying on top of her and kissing her and…………………………………..

……………………….The next thing Greg knows he sees Melissa's face float by and hears barking from Wayni and then hears giggles from little Charnie and sees Cuddy's face float by and sees Wilson's pocket protector and LizBeth waving goodbye as she smiles sweetly.

"LizBeth! LizBeth! Come back!" He hollers out for her. He feels something firm touch his shoulder and he hears a woman's voice but doesn't recognize it.

"Liz…..don' gooooooooooo!" He whined until he jerked awake and looked round the room for his sister. "Wha…Liz? LIZ?" He muttered, but it didn't sound the same in his ears as it did in his head.

The woman's face was blurry and he had trouble focusing on the details of her face as he listened to her talk. "Dr. House, take it easy." As she talked she wiped his forehead with a damp washcloth to remove the sweat as the fever he'd had finally came down.

"Whooo ar…u?" He tried to say clearly but his throat was dry and had trouble swallowing. He relaxed and laid his head back down on the pillow. His stomach was cramped very badly and his head felt like he'd been hit by a giant Vicodin pill and he ached just a little bit all over his body.

"I'm Carmen Sanchez, from E.R., helping out here this weekend. Well, it's Tuesday morning now, Dr. I've been monitoring your condition the past two days. But you shouldn't talk. You've been on a respirator the past day and a half. Everyone thought we lost you."

He tried to ask all the questions that ran through his mind but he didn't have the energy to speak anymore. He closed his eyes and remembered the last face that he saw before his dream woke him up: LizBeth.

He quickly faded off to sleep as he heard Nurse Carmen say into her cell phone, "Dr. Cuddy, he's awake…oops, no, he's almost out again. But he's resting…………"

Dr. Lisa Cuddy placed the phone back in the cradle and sighed with relief.

"He's come around." She said to Wilson, who was sitting across from her desk.

"That's a relief. Looks like everyone is coming around. Things seem to be dying outside."

"Oh, bad choice of words, there." She said and smiled.

"Ah, nice to see a smile on your face, Cuddy." He said as he smiled back.

"Yeah, well, we've had over 40 deaths, and even though there aren't any more patients coming in and the ones we do have still need to be heavily monitored so we don't lose anymore."

Just then the door to her office opened and Foreman walked in slowly. "How's it going?" He said as he sat down.

Cuddy relayed the good news about House coming around and for once since Friday night she seemed hopeful that the crisis was over.

"How's Chase doing? Is Cameron still in with him?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah, she was in with him when I went to check up on him. She got him to drink some juice but he's still a little nauseous."

"What I don't understand," Cuddy started to say, "is how House got sick in the first place. I've verified all the patients that might have been exposed and transferred the virus to doctors here, but he never did." Both Wilson and Foreman shrugged their shoulders.

"Well, I'm going to give Sarah and Charlie a call to see how Charnie is doing." Wilson said as he stood up and left.

"Dr. Cuddy?" Foreman asked as soon as the door closed behind Wilson. "I know this is none of my business, but I think you should really try to talk to Rog."

"I've tried, believe me. He won't. He's avoiding me quite well." She said disheartedly.

"Let's just say I have a very good source that he really does want to talk." Foreman said as he stood up. "Is it alright if I head to the lounge to catch some shut eye?"

"Of course, yes, definitely. I've got just a few more papers to complete and I will try to head there myself." She said as she grabbed some papers and started to write.

---Wilson just walked into his office when he caught his phone ringing. He ran to it and noticed it was his home number.

"Hello!" He answered, trying to sound upbeat.

"Hi, honey! God, I miss you! And so do the kids. When are you going to be home? Do you have any idea?" Sarah asked as she tried to cover the kids playfully screaming in the background.

Wilson smiled. "I wouldn't think it'd be past tomorrow, babe. I miss you guys, too."

"No, you don't. You miss your bed." She teased. "Hold on...Charlie! Wanna talk to Daddy?"

"Yay! Yay!" Wilson heard in the background as Sarah handed him the phone. "Hi, Daddy! You don't half ta come home an' time soon 'cuz we're doin' gweat!" Charlie said, then there was a moment of silence.

"Charlie?" Wilson started to say.

"Oh, he ran off to play with Charnie. James, did you get a call from Harold Pittman, the lawyer Greg hired for the custody case?" Sarah asked quietly so the kids couldn't hear her.

"No, wait...I see the message light on. Did he say anything to you?" He asked curious.

"No, I told him to talk to you. He called yesterday afternoon."

"Did you tell him Greg was seriously ill?"

"Uh uh. Not since I didn't know what he wanted." She told him.

"Let me check the message and I'll call you right back. I can't wait to get back home." He said as he hung up the phone and hit the button for 'Message Playback'.

"Dr. Wilson, this is Harold Pittman, the attorney Dr. Greg House hired to handle the custody case of his daughter, Charnie. Please give me a call. There has been a development in the case. I can be reached at..."

Wilson looked at the phone blankly and didn't know whether he should be relieved or deeply concerned.

---Dr. Foreman walked in the doctor's lounge and saw that Rog was asleep on one of the cots with another sleeping in the corner. He sat on the cot closest to Rog and it suddenly dawned on him how exhausted he was. The virus hadn't manifested itself as damaging in Foreman as it had the others, and although he hadn't been in with any patients Dr. Cuddy had given her approval for him to peruse the hospital. But only until Dr. Firth had cleared everyone and the doors would be open for everyone to get back to their normal lives.

He'd just laid back and closed his eyes when he heard Rog say, "How are things going out there?"

Foreman opened his eyes again and turned to look at Rog. "It's really quieted down. Seems like the worst is over."

"Pfft." Rog snorted.

"Rog, you know Dr. Cuddy appreciated you coming in and helping this weekend, but you can't avoid her forever."

"Oh, no? She's done a pretty good job the past...hmmm, how many years?"

"Dr. Cuddy is a good woman, you need to know that. She wouldn't do anything to be hurtful. That's House's job." He said as he chuckled but Rog didn't.

"Eric, how would you have reacted if you were in my shoes? Would you just accept the fact that your boss who hired you is really your mother that gave you up because she didn't want you?"

Foreman's first thought was, _'I wouldn't want to be in your shoes. You're too clumsy.'_ But then thought against it; it wasn't the time to be cracking jokes.

"Come on, Rog! You know it wasn't like that."

"Yeah, well," Rog started to say as he stood up to leave. "Life isn't as easy as that, now is it?" Foreman could do nothing but shake his head and closed his eyes to get more badly needed sleep.

Back in Wilson's office, Harold Pittman just picked up his phone as he was returning his call.

"Mr. Pittman, this is Dr. James Wilson. You call..." He started to say.

"Ah, yes. I've been trying to reach Dr. House but I haven't heard from him. I've tried both his home and his office."

"Yes, he has been fairly ill but he won't be able to attend the hear..."

"Oh, well, that's why I'm calling..." Mr. Pittman spoke a moment longer.

"I'll let him know right away. And thank you." Wilson pressed the hang-up knob and quickly dialed Sarah.

"Honey, guess what! Sheila Smithers, Charnie's godmother, has decided not to file for custody. She's had a change of heart. Charnie can be with her father now! Oh, man, he is going to be SO relieved! I can't wait to tell him."

"That's fantastic! Oh, I'm so glad that worked out. How's he doing, by the way?" Wilson gave her the update on the crisis at the hospital and House's condition, told Sarah he loved her and hung up.

He smiled wider than he'd had in the past five days and clapped his hands together in victory. He was happy for House, and especially Charnie. She'd be in good hands with her father. And he walked out of his office to go tell House, his best friend, the excellent news.

Wilson walked excitedly to House's room but wasn't expecting him to be awake. He'd been told he'd only just woken up not even an hour earlier. He found House indeed still asleep and Nurse Carmen readjusting the IV tube in House's arm to allow for full flow of meds and fluids to rehydrate him.

"How's he doing?" Wilson asked as he approached the bed.

"Much, much better. He had some pretty wicked nightmares late last night; he talks in his sleep." She said with a sly grin. "So do you, if I recall correctly, Jimmy. I wonder…do you still talk in your sleep?" She added as she walked back to the chair in the corner of the room and sat down in the very chair she'd spent more than 24 hours monitoring House's condition.

Wilson shot her a look of surprise because he hadn't expected her to mention their past 'relationship'. Carmen was one nurse he was able to avoid, thankfully, for the past three years, the last time they were together. He really cared about her at the time but she got a little "weird" for him while they were 'together' and he was forced to put an end to it. But he knew she was a good person and an excellent nurse, that's why he mentioned having Nurse Carmen keep an eye on House.

"Carm, look, I'm in a good relationship now and I'm happy. For once in my life I'm actually happy." He said, hoping to qualm her flirting.

"You said you were happy with me, too."

"Please, I won't want to get into thi…" He started to say.

"Woo u two take tha' outs…" House muttered from his bed.

"House, uh, you're awake." Wilson said nervously as he turned to look at him.

"Unfortunately, yeah." He answered with his eyes still shut.

"Carmen, would you mind stepping out for a bit?" Wilson asked as he turned to face her.

"Sure, anything for you, Doc." She said with a wink at Wilson as she walked by and left the room.

"She had a thing for me when I first came here." Wilson lied.

"Sure, wha'evah you say, doc." House retorted.

"I've got some good news, buddy."

"'Skins actually win th' superbowl?"

"Wow, you never quit, do you?" Wilson said.

"Seems needer' do you."

Wilson shook his head but more in relief that House was getting back to 'normal'. He told House of the call from Pittman and Charnie would be going home as soon as House fully recuperated.

"Of course, Sarah and I will be more than happy to watch her until you're on your feet."

"'mmm sur Sarah'd like tha'." He mumbled, still with his eyes closed, sounding half asleep.

Wilson was on edge himself from pure exhaustion and took his comment the wrong way. "What was _that_ supposed to mean?"

"Caum down. Thank…I appreeccheeate…" And House dosed off to sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

The adventures pick up as something HORRIBLE happens to little Charnie!

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

Two weeks later on a Friday night, life for the doctors at PPTH had finally quieted down and gotten back to normal by the end of January. House, Foreman and Chase had the past almost two weeks off to fully recuperate. The other doctors not badly affected with the virus returned to their perspective posts and all was peaceful.

---House had been home the whole time but hadn't picked up his little girl, C.T., yet. He would be picking her up from Sarah and Wilson's on Sunday. He wanted to make sure he was feeling 100 better to avoid getting her sick and to be able to begin his new life with his daughter.

What made matters worse was he had to make arrangements for Melissa's funeral, which he couldn't bring himself to be there when she was buried. He felt like such a coward for not going, but with Cuddy's help, he'd managed. He hoped he'd never have to go through that again.

---Foreman had worked the past few days to catch up on patients that had been neglected. He was able to do that because Cuddy gave him a clean bill of health because he hadn't been exposed fully to the virus. Nancy was very much relieved to see him back home. He still had to take three medications and she was happy to play nurse for him.

"Hey, this gives me an idea." Foreman teased as she rubbed his shoulders.

"What? Play nursemaid? I don't think nurses actually do that for patients." Nancy said teasingly.

"Oh, come on, where's your sense of adventure?"…………

The time apart between Foreman and Nancy had proven to them both of how much they really cared about each other.

---Chase and Cameron had also grown closer during Chase's illness. He had faired much worse than the other patients who were afflicted with the virus. The use of the defribulator when his heart stopped had caused second degree burns on his chest, which were finally beginning to heal.

They were lying on the couch in the living room while Chase held by Cameron watching a movie.

"Robert, you think you could ask for leave so we can get away from this place for awhile?" Cameron asked hopefully.

"I really don't think that's possible, Allison. Not with the both of us gone and especially not after the crisis."

"Well, I just thought maybe we both needed to get away."

"We will, baby, we will. Why don't you check out some places to go and we'll go over them, how's that?" Chase said as he hugged her wamly.

---Cuddy sat at her dining room table going over pieces of mail that had been neglected the past few weeks while she drank a glass of wine. That had become a ritual for her lately, drinking wine before she went to bed. The Art of Noise was playing softly in the background when the sound of the front doorbell startled her and she jumped a little bit. She wasn't expecting anyone, especially not at 9:30 at night.

She glanced out the front living room window and noticed Rog's car parked in the driveway. Her heart skipped a beat as she walked faster to answer the door. She took a deep breath before she turned the knob and swung the door open.

"Hi, Rog." Cuddy squeaked and was embarassed at herself but tried to hide it. "Want to come in?"

"No, I can' stay...m headin' bog hume tomorrow." He slurred.

Cuddy could tell right away he'd been drinking and she knew he didn't drink all that much, or that often. She grew concerned and reached out for him to pull him inside from the stinging cold but he immediately pulled away from her, like her hand were actually a lightning rod.

"Can't you just come in for some coffee?" She pleaded.

"I jus' cam by to than' you for ruinin' my life." He said then hiccupped and swayed a little.

"Rog, That's not fair. I told you what happened to me...look, please just come in. I don't want us to leave things the way they are."

"You know, 'm not ups' you thew me away. 'M upset you didnn tell me who you really were. I fell like a complet' fool."

"I'm really worried about you..." She started to say.

"We'r you worrie' about me for some 25-plus years? Ewe wanna just come bag in..."

"I will not let you leave here until I know you are sober enough to drive." She interrupted.

"Dr. Cuddy, you are NOT my moth'r. Oh, wait, yeah, you are." He said sarcastically.

Rog turned around to leave but lost his balance and missed the first step on the landing and went down on his face. Cuddy rushed to her son and tried to help him up.

"Don' touch me!" He screamed as he swatted her hands away.

But Cuddy was one step ahead of Rog. When he fell down the stairs the car keys fell out of his hand and lay on a small hill of snow. She quickly grabbed it, stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Now, Dr. Nelson, I've got your keys," She said as Rog looked up at her with an evil expression. "And you are not going anywhere. I'll leave the front door unlocked if you decide it's too cold out here in the snow." She turned around and headed back into her house, closing the door behind her.

As the door snapped shut, Cuddy leaned against it and closed her eyes. She hoped it would ease the pain she was feeling but until the tension between her and Rog were resolved she would still feel it; the ache, the pain, the tears.

She walked over to the high-back chair by the window and watched him as he struggled to stand up then stumble across the lawn. She could hear his voice but couldn't tell what he was saying. His last step sent him stumbling in the snow but didn't get up. He sat up and buried his face in his hands and started to rock back and forth.

Her heart broke at that moment and she knew she couldn't leave her son out there in the snow. She calmly walked to the door as she threw on her coat and walked to the bottom step of the stairs and sat down. She watched him for a few minutes until his sobs died down then he wiped his eyes and looked up at his mom.

The look on his face was the same as a little boy's who'd just been scolded after doing something his mother repeatedly told him not to do. He wiped the tears from his face then stood up, staring back at Cuddy. She could see the confusion and pain and plea in his eyes and waved for him to come to her. He stood there a few moments longer and slowly, cautiously, approached her as she stood up to greet him.

"…nee' to use th' bath'oom. Call'm cab." He muttered as he walked past her and into the house.

She followed him and closed the door behind her, took off her coat and stood in the doorway between the foyer and the living room. She heard him vomit in the toilet and knew it was the best thing for him; at least it would get some of the alcohol out of his system.

She looked over at the fireplace, saw that the embers were only smoldering and went to get the fire going strong again. When he still hadn't returned she went into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee for the both of them. Just as she'd finished placing the pot on the burner and hit 'brew' she heard his voice behind her. She turned to see him standing at the doorway but he was still not steady on his feet.

"Ewe cawl the cab yet?" He said coldly.

"Yes, they said about 30 minutes." She lied. "Do you want coffee?"

He shook his head and headed down the hall.

"Where are you going?"

He didn't answer but just as he reached the doorknob something caught his eye in the living room and looked at the roaring fire. He thought for only a brief moment whether he should head on back outside or sit where it was warm. He was cold, his clothes were wet from the snow and he was scared. Ever since he was a little boy he loved to sit by a fire and watch the red, blue and gold colors flicker up into 'no man's land'.

Cuddy saw him look eagerly at the fire and told Rog it was fine if he stayed inside. He turned around and went into the living room without look at her, sitting on the throw rug over the hardwood floor in front of the hearth. She went back into the kitchen, poured two cups of coffee and went back to the living room and stood beside him offering the cup. After a second he looked up at her, with a look of total defeat and took the cup. She smiled down at him and turned to sit in the closest chair to the fire.

"Th'nks" He said. She simply nodded her head.

Mother and son sat in silence for almost 15 minutes; Rog kept staring at the fire and Cuddy kept staring at Rog. She noticed his eyes were getting heavy and he was having trouble keeping his head up then jerk his head back up. He scooted over to lean his back against the recliner, drew his knees up to his chest and continued the ritual of the 'semi-awake head bobber dance.'

That continued for another few minutes when, finally, Rog's head went forward, with his chin to his chest, and he didn't move again. She stood up quietly, grabbed a blanket and placed it over him.

She went to the front door, locked it, shut the outside light off and headed back to the couch. She pulled another blanket over her and was just about to lie down when the phone rang. Luckily the phone was right by the armrest and she picked it up in one ring, whispered "what?" then looked to see if it had woken up Rog – it hadn't.

She quietly stood up and walked into the dining room. "I'm whispering so I don't wake him up!" She said softly.

"Oh, you playing the 'horizontal hokie pokie'?" House asked with a snicker.

"Shut UP! It's Rog. He's passed out in the living room. What do you want? It's almost 10:30!"

"I need a favor." He said.

"No, I told you! Just because you were ill and you haven't worked for two weeks doesn't mean I'm taking any hours off your clinic duty!" She said gruffly.

"What are you doing tom…Wayni! DMN IT! Stop chewing on my cane!" He hollered, which was followed with a little canine yelp.

"HOUSE! Tell me you didn't just hit that puppy with your cane!"

"No, no, I didn…geez, woman! Do you really think I wo…"

"What is your favor, Greg?"

House sighed heavily and just came out with it.

Dr. Cuddy hung up the phone and walked back into the living room. Rog was still asleep but he'd fallen on his side with the blanket still over him. She sat on the couch and stared at him until she'd fallen asleep herself…

Back at House's apartment, after the conversation with Cuddy, he'd taken Wayni out for a walk. Well, he just escorted her because she was still taking the leash in her mouth and walking herself. He hadn't realized how much he'd missed her until she did things that made him laugh or yell at her. But mostly she made him laugh, unlike Steve McQueen.

'That stupid rodent' had been up to no good lately. He figured that kid doped him up or something because he was not the same rat he knew before the crisis at the hospital began. There were trails of 'pellets' leading from a corner of the room to the leg of the end table his cage was kept on. But in House's life at the moment, there were other pressing issues to attend to.

He finished the last of his Scotch and headed off to bed, making a mental list of everything he had to do the next day.

The next morning, Cuddy woke up to a quiet house, lying on her couch, alone. She quickly sat up and hollered, "Rog!"

"In here." He answered back.

She walked into the kitchen and saw him heating up a pan for the bacon and eggs that sat on the counter.

"What are you doing?" She asked as she walked to the coffee pot and poured a cup. He didn't answer until a few strips of bacon were frying in the pan.

"Doing a triple bypass." He said laughing a little but didn't look at her. She didn't know what to say, especially after what happened the night before. She pulled out a chair and sat down at the eat-in kitchen table.

"Don't worry. I won't burn your house down." He said as he reached for the scrambled eggs and placed them in the pan.

She suddenly realized there were no settings at the table so she got two plates and silverware and placed them on the table.

"You want butter on your bread after it's toasted, right?" He asked as he turned around and looked at her for the first time that morning.

She was a little surprised he'd remembered that little detail from a year earlier when they were at her cabin and nodded her head. She walked to the radio and turned it on low then sat down.

He brought her plate of bacon, eggs and toast and set it down in front of her. She thanked him and watched him do the same for himself. They sat and ate in silence.

The song that cut through the tension in the room was The Bee Gees' 'Words'. Cuddy pretended she wasn't listening but noticed Rog got tense all of a sudden.

MUSIC 

'Smile an ever-lasting smile; a smile can bring you near to me.

Don't ever let me find you gone 'cuz that would bring a tear to me.

This world has lost its glory. Let's start a brand new story now, my son .

Right now they'll be no other time I can show you how, my son .

Talk an ever-lasting word and dedicate them all to me.

And I will give you all my life. I'm here if you should call to me.

You think that I don't even mean a single word I say…' END MUSIC 

After they finished eating Cuddy thanked Rog then stood up with her empty plate and reached for his.

"Dr. Cuddy, I'm sorry for last night. And thank you." He said solemnly, with a little embarrassment.

She put the plates back on the table and sat back down. She didn't say a word; she wanted to wait for him to get everything he had to say out of his system.

"I want to leave, but I don't want to leave." He said quietly. "I've been offered a position at Fairfax INOVA Hospital but something doesn't feel right." He hesitated to try to read some kind of reaction from her. There was nothing.

"You know, I was pretty angry at you when I went home to bury m…and my uncle picked up on it. He helped me a lot, not just with their deaths but the mess 'up here.' He said I should stay here and I heard him, but I couldn't forgive you."

Cuddy nodded her head in understanding. She let him continue.

"What I want to know is what would your expectations be of me if I were to stay permanently? I mean at work, being that I'm your son and you'll be my boss."

"Rog, exactly as it was before. Nothing more."

"Do you really think that'll happen?" He asked.

"We're both adults here, right? I don't see why not."

Just then the doorbell rang. "Shoot, that's House. He said he'd be here at 11:00." She said as she stood up to answer the door.

"It's 11:20, Dr. Cuddy." Rog answered as he cleared the table.

She caught the 'Cuddy' part; she wasn't expecting a 'mom' but maybe a 'Lisa'? She opened the door and House came into the foyer.

"Hey, sorry. I didn't know how late it was. I just need a few minutes to shower. Rog is in the kitchen." She said as she bounded up the stairs.

House stood in the foyer for a second very uncomfortable because he didn't know the current situation between the two. He decided he needed some coffee before they went shopping for some clothes and necessities for C.T.'s coming home the following morning and walked to the kitchen.

A little more than an hour later, doctors House and Cuddy headed to the mall for some shopping. He tried to get her to tell him what went on between she and Rog because, well, just because he was nosey. She was very tight lipped and didn't tell him anything. He didn't press the issue because he didn't want to make her mad and demand they go back before they were able to buy anything.

The first baby store they went to House looked at a dark blue and light pink shirt/pant set and nearly had a heart attack.

"$78? Does it come with a diamond tiara because it sure as hell better. And this says '12-15 months.' What the hell does that mean? All babies are NOT created equal." He said as he looked at the price tag.

She couldn't help but laugh. She knew shopping with him was going to be fun but she hadn't expected the fun to begin at the first outfit he looked at.

"Yeah, it's crazy, isn't it? $78 for something that's only going to last no more than six months? And I think I can figure out what size to get her, don't worry. Let's check out Penney's." She suggested as they walked out.

"Shoot, I vote for the Salvation Army!" He scoffed as they headed down the center of the mall.

"We are NOT going to get your dau…" She started to say but House interrupted her.

"Come on, I was joking! The Red Cross would be just as good." He said with a teasing smile. She responded by solidly punching him in the left arm.

"OW! That's my baby holding arm! You're just gonna half-ta carry her around from now on."

"Greg, you need to shut up when you talk to me." She joked.

A few hours later and after three trips to load the car up with bags and boxes of clothes and toys for C.T., they were on their last leg of shopping when they passed a jewelry store.

"Come on." He said as he tugged at her blouse sleeve.

"What? I think she's a little young for anything in this store." She protested but didn't stop him but escorting her into the store.

She looked at the jewelry lit up in the cases just to humor him while he watched for any sparkle in Cuddy's eyes over a particular piece. She came across a pair of 'twisty' gold earrings with a diamond dangling at the bottom and seemed to stare at them a little longer than she had any other piece.

"You like those?" He asked after, of course, he checked out the price and '10 Discount' sign and found it was within his budget (more like within his 'how much money can I borrow from Wilson to pay off my credit card?' budget).

"Yeah, but Christmas killed me and I have no idea if I owe tax…" She started to say.

"Don't worry. It's my treat." He said, thinking she wouldn't refuse, but he should have known better.

"I absolutely will NOT let you buy these for me!"

"Lisa, relax, will ya? It's a thank you for coming with me today. Or, if you want, we can go to Victoria's Secret and you can pick out…"

"Fine, fine." She said with a laugh. "That's generous and thoughtful and kind an…"

"Stop! You gonna make me hurl!" They both laughed.

After Cuddy and House got back to his place, it took them several trips to bring all the bags into his apartment. Of course, he tried to play 'cripple' so she'd have to bring mostly everything in, but she knew him well enough to kick him in his butt when appropriate. It was just past 6 o'clock Saturday night and as soon as Cuddy put down the last bag she collapsed on the sofa.

House fussed at Wayni quite a few times because she kept sticking her nose in the bags and pulling out the new clothes. He finally put her in his bedroom and closed the door. Then it was his turn to collapse on the couch next to Cuddy.

"Hey, Greg?" She asked as he simply moaned back. "We're getting too old for this."

"Who you tellin'? Uggh, I'm gonna have to re-mortgage my apartment to pay for all her clothes!"

"Ask Wilson for a loan. Seriously, this is only the beginning! You might need to get a part-time job…wait, I forgot who I was talking to." She said and they laughed.

"You want to get a pizza?" He asked, not so much to eat but hoping she would volunteer to put clothes away in C.T.'s closet and dresser drawer.

"No, I've got to head on back." She answered as she stood up. "Rog and I made headway, but we still have a lot to talk about and straighten out. He's still at the house, sleeping off his drinking binge." House's eyebrows went up in curiosity then nodded his head to acknowledge her as he, too, stood up and walked her to the door.

"Lisa, thanks." He said genuinely.

Cuddy was taken aback at his sincerity and smiled. "You may drive me crazy, Dr. House, but know I still care about you." She said as she lightly kissed him on his cheek. He looked down at the floor and his throat and chest turned beat red.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay?" He simply nodded his head and closed the door behind her. He turned around and looked in his living room and sighed at the bags and boxes littering his 'was once a bachelor pad.'

A thought crossed his mind for a back-up 'clothes putter-upper…'

Just then the phone rang. He limped to the phone, picked it up but never did say hello. "You're back already?" said the voice on the other end.

"Yeah, just got home. Hey, what are you all doing? Thought I'd get a couple of pizzas and you guys bring C.T. over and we'll have dinner and then…"

Wilson interrupted him. "Well, that's why I'm callin'. Sarah wants to know if you need any help with un-packing?"

House shook his head in disbelief. "Ah, I forgot she has a third eyeball on her forehead that 'sees all.' Yay, come on over, if it's not a problem." He said, rather unconvincingly.

"Nah, we're bored stiff. And Charlie has been asking to see you all day. He keeps telling C.T. she's coming home. I'll call when we are about to leave." Then Wilson hung up.

House smiled as he placed the phone back in the cradle. He was nervous, but excited and happy at the same time. He told himself he would be a good father when she told him she was pregnant, and now it was his time to prove it.

To prove it to himself, his friends, his parents…HIS PARENTS? He hadn't realized he hadn't called them since he'd been home. He still had no idea if they knew how sick he was or about the epidemic in the area.

'_Ah, it's been two weeks…they can wait another two weeks.'_ He thought to himself as he rested a bit before the Wilson's came over with his little girl.

Over at Cameron's, she and Chase had fallen asleep on the couch even before the movie ended. What woke Chase up was the static at the very end of the VCR tape. He gently squeezed Cameron around her waist to wake her up so they could go to bed. He had been staying at her place the past two weeks because she didn't want to leave him alone, not with the burns on his chest that needed to be cleaned and dressed three times a day and to make sure he took his meds. He was comfortable enough being in her apartment; it was definitely nicer than his own. But they hadn't discussed moving in together, to share expenses and to save a little money to go on trips they'd been talking about.

But so much had been going on in their lives neither one knew exactly what they wanted. Well, they knew they wanted each other, but neither exactly where their relationship was going and they weren't quite ready to move in together.

"Babe, come on. Let's go to bed." He whispered in her ear then kissed it softly until she moaned and turned her head to look at him.

"Huh...oh, ok." She grunted as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She looked lovingly at Chase. "How's your chest feeling? We need to dress it befo..."

"Allison, would you stop. I'm fine, really." He said reassuringly. "I just want your bed right now and to lie next to you."

She smiled at him and leaned in to kiss his warm, soft lips. He returned her kiss and after a moment stood up, reached down his hands for hers and pulled her up toward him. He turned the VCR and t.v. off, wrapped his arm around her, bent down to turn off the light without letting her go, pushed her in front of him, wrapped both his arms around her waist and walked her to the bedroom.

When they reached the end of the bed he playfully pushed her down 'til she sat, walked to the bathroom, got a damp washcloth, the antibiotic ointment and bandages and tape and walked back to her. He handed her the supplies and stepped back, slowly and as sexily as he could he removed his t-shirt so she could dress his burn wounds.

She looked up at him sheepishly, grabbed the washcloth and gently pressed it against his red, blistered, irritated chest until it was clean. She then pressed some ointment on her fingertips and rubbed it seductively into his chest, like it was a flavored gel she'd be licking off him in a second. She then got the bandage, two strips of tape and lovingly covered the worst areas that were burned.

She stood up so their chests were inches from one another and he eagerly removed her top, running his hands over her chest and... they made love 

A little bit later, Chase and Cameron were lying in each other's arms in bed, in the dark, listening to each other's breathe. It was the first time they'd made love in weeks, and they both badly needed each other. The last thought on Chase's mind as he drifted of to sleep: 'she did say she'd marry me...maybe I will talk to her tomorrow about moving in together. It couldn't hurt. All she could say was, 'no,' right?'

Gregory House is 17, his sister, Elizabeth, is 11. It's early spring, and warm enough to have the window open in his bedroom to let in some fresh air. The nasty cigars his dad smokes infiltrates his room through the vents, and the smell always gets him a little sick to his stomach. He hates the smell, worse than he hates the smell of, oh, cabbage being cooked on the stove.

Greg is in his room going over his algebra homework while LizBeth is in her room, blasting her David Cassidy "I Think I Love You!" song over and over again and singing along with it. It was cutting into his patience, but for his little sister, he always has patience for.

His homework was another story_. 'Why in the heck do I have to do this crap? I certainly won't be an Algebra Manager or Algebra Chemist. This sucks.'_ He thought to himself. Graduation was coming up in two months and life at home has been unbearable. Well, more unbearable as usual, it seems. LizBeth had officially 'become a woman' and her emotions have been kicking up terribly the past few weeks.

And to top that off, he had finally told his parents he wanted to get into medicine. There was a kid at school who, among the few boys in his graduating class he had been close to, had died a year earlier of 'an unknown cause.' The kid was cool; Greg really liked him. They shared a liking for Sherlock Holmes, after, of course, graduating from 'The Hardy Boys' among other 'unusual' hobbies.

But going to the kid's funeral was tough for him; it was the first he had ever gone to and it was hard. Standing by the kid's coffin, he swore to himself right there and then he wouldn't let another 'good person' go without knowing exactly why.

After his thoughts drift back to his homework, he hears his father's steps stomping up and he knew exactly where he was going:

to LizBeth's room. Their father hates everything that doesn't come out of the 40's and 50's, and if it wasn't, it was 'trash'.

He bangs on the door loudly and hollers for her to turn the radio down. Greg gets up and carefully opens his bedroom door just wide enough to see her bedroom door across the hall. His father opens the door and continues to yell at the top of his voice as Greg cringes.

The volume goes off on the radio and hears LizBeth say meekly, "I'm sorry, Dad."

"I DON'T want to have to tell you again to keep it at a reasonable volume!" He yells as he walks out the door without closing it.

Greg closes the door just in time as his dad walks to the top of the stairs and Greg jumps when he hears her bedroom door slam closed. He closes his eyes and braces himself because he knows what's coming next; it had happened to him a few years ago.

His dad rushes back to her door, pushes it open hard and screams, "DON'T YOU DARE SLAM THE DOOR BEHIND ME AGAIN!"

Greg immediately opens the door a bit more widely as he sees his dad disappear into her room.

"Dad, my window's open...didn't slam the door...I just clos..."

SMACK/groan

He hears her yelp a little and then the sound of books and glass break, then louder cries as his dad storms out of her room and gives his son a death glare as he storms downstairs. He hears his father scream at his mom about, 'her not behaving' and 'her not listening to me' and 'most irresponsible...'

Greg blocks out his father's rant and heads to her bedroom. He doesn't bother to knock but opens the door...and gasps at his sister sitting on the floor holding her left cheek with tears falling down her eyes in sheets with books and broken ceramics spewn on the floor around her from the shelves and desk.

She is so embarrassed and ashamed she doesn't look at her brother but just sits on the floor crying. His heart breaks and he instantly burns with hatred for his dad for hitting her. That was one of the no-no's his mother had told him when she gave him his 'grown up talk' when he was 12 about sex.

It tkes all the strength he has not to tear downstairs and hit his own father. _'No, not yet. My time will come when I...'_

He sees her crying hysterically but can't find the words to comfort her. He kneels down and starts to pick up her book and bits of broken glass.

"Gre...don...Dad'll be ma...he didn' mean...hit me..." She cries, inhaling deeply between words she tries to get out and starts to hyperventilate. It was the first time she's done that, even after all the times their dad has 'beat' her down and make her who he wants her to be.

Greg freaks out a little, puts the books neatly down and sits next to her, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and talks to her, trying to get her to calm down. But it was a good 20 minutes before she catches her breathe...BANGING ON THE FRONT DOOR...

"Greg! Greg! Uncle Gweg!"

House bolted up from the couch at the sudden noise and realized Wilson and Sarah were there with C.T. He heard Wayni bark at the door and she kept running back and forth between him and the front door to let him know someone was there.

"Be right there." He said as he rubbed his eyes, and only then did he realize he'd cried while he dreamed about his sister.

House opened the door and saw Wilson holding C.T., Sarah holding a bag of her clothes and Charlie trying to keep Wayni down from jumping on him, but he was giggling the whole time.

"Hey, House! You look much better." Wilson said as they walked through the door and House closed the door behind them.

"Greg, you really do. Here, I think this is yours." Sarah says as she hands C.T. to her daddy.

He reached out his left arm tentatively at first, but when she reached out her little 9-month old arms out for his, his heart melted. She giggled and when the top of her head reached his stubble, she threw her head back and looked at him really funny. Then she cautiously reached out her little hand and rubbed her fingers against it. House lovingly smiled down at her as they walked into the living room.

"You guys want something to drink?" He asked, not because he was being polite but because his Vicodin was in the kitchen. He'd woken up with a headache. He set C.T. down on a blanket Sarah had just laid out.

"Yes, please. I think I have a lot of work ahead of me." Sarah said then laughed as she looked at the bags on the floor.

"Mommy?" Charlie said as he tugged at her jeans. "Can I play wiff Charnie?"

"Oh, honey, let her be with her daddy, ok?"

Charlie rolled his eyes and gave his mother the look he'd seen on House's many times when someone said something that was completely unfair. House came back from the kitchen with her drink and sat down on the couch.

"Ok, I'm outta here. Give me a few hours and I'll be back." Sarah said then laughed.

The guys laughed, too and they watched her grab a few bags and headed into C.T.'s room. The two kids were oblivious to everything around them because Wayni was trying to get them in trouble, safe trouble.

"You know, you can still bring C.T. over during the week while you're at work. I'm sure we can work out a low compensation for babysitting." Wilson chuckled.

"I still have next week off, 'adjustment period' Cuddy called it. I was like, 'uh-huh.' More like a 'let's see how long you last' period." House said then scolded C.T. "No, no! Don't pull her furr."

She looked up at him startled, her bottom lip started to quiver, her eyes looked like she'd just been poked and she let out the loudest scream from her little vocal cords.

"Oh, girl..." House said as he bent down, picked her up and placed her on his left knee. He really hadn't realized how loudly he'd said it. "You're ok...you're ok." He said. After just a second she'd stopped crying because Wayni was nibbling at the tip of her shoes and she was smiling back. House placed her back down and the three went back to their playing.

"Have you got food and stuff for her? We brought a couple of ja..."

"Don't worry, we got all that today." House told Wilson.

"Ok, and did she write down what and when and how you feed her?" Wilson said seriously then laughed.

"Don't worry, dude. I've got it covered." He said, but not very convincingly.

"Remember Nurse Carmen?" Wilson asked and House shook his head. "She slid a card under my door yesterday morning."

"Oh, you stud!" He joked but Wilson quickly 'shhss'd' him.

"She wants to get back with me. She said after she'd seen me again when she was taking care of you she realized she wanted me back."

"Wilson..do you think that's a goo..."

"Oh, please! Don't even go there. She scares the CRAP outta me!"

A few hours later, close to midnight, House, C.T. and Wayni were all alone on their first night together. Wayni had fallen asleep in her doggie bed in the corner of the room and C.T. had fallen asleep in his arms long before Wilson, Sarah and Charlie (asleep

on his daddy's arm) had left.

Sarah had given House a few pointers in the kitchen with what foods to feed her and House was too tired to argue with her. He just listened out of politeness, but when he was looking at the hot dogs in the fridge and secretly thinking to himself, 'these would be good,' Sarah told him hot dogs are a no-no for a 9-month old.

House scooted off the couch as best he could with his bad leg and C.T. in his left arm as to not wake her and carried her to her bedroom. The pain in his leg was getting a little bad; he always had to take a few at night so he could get a good night's sleep. But he leaned against her crib and laid her on the blanket Melissa had specifically picked out for her.

He stood there looking at his daughter, his mind reeling with what he was now up against. But the past two weeks he'd been mentally preparing for it. He'd planned on calling his parents the following day, even though he dreaded it. He thought C.T. was a beautiful little girl, even if he was the father_. 'Thank God you look like your mother.'_ He thought to himself. She stirred in her sleep and he froze, afraid she'd wake up, but she didn't. He stood there a few more minutes and watched her, then left her room, making sure the nightlight was still on and left the door half-opened.

He walked into the living room and Wayni had gotten up, begging to go outside. He took her outside for a few minutes and when he reached for the doorknob it didn't turn. He'd forgotten to unlock the door behind him. He cursed himself then reached under the mat and pulled out the extra key.

_'Man, I'm gonna have to hide a lot of keys out here now!'_ He thought to himself then laughed.

For the first time in weeks, if not months, Dr. Gregory House got a restful night's sleep. He was happy. Or, happy for House.

The next afternoon, House just put C.T. down for her afternoon nap. He had a good time that morning; he'd taken her and Wayni walking down the street, and found the stroller was a good alternative for the cane. When they got back in, he set her on the throw rug and she'd pulled herself up with the aid of the coffee table; she almost stood on her own. He stood back watching her and encouraging her to 'give it a go.'

He sat down on the couch dreading the inevitable task he had to do next: call his parents. Of course, he'd taken a few sips of Scotch and his Vicodin, and he felt ready. He'd thought about what he was going to say for at least an hour before he called them. His mother picked up and she sounded the same old mom.

"Hi, mom."

"Hey, son! What's wrong? I wasn't expecting to hear from you so soon after Christmas." She said concerned. "I was wondering how you were after Stacy's death."

"Nothing, I'm fine...now."

"What does that mean? Are you ok?"

"Mom, yeah, I'm fine." He said then told her how sick he'd been but that he was better now. She said she was relieved and he took a deep breathe for the next bit of news.

"Mom, the thing is she and I have a baby and..." House hesitated because she had gotten quiet on the other end. He was expecting her to start screaming and yelling.

"...she's here now. Her name is Charnie." He continued. Again he waited for a response from her but it was still quiet.

"Mom?"

A second more of silence, "I'm here. I...I don't know what...to say." She stuttered. "How old is she? Have you got a room for her already? Does she have clothes..."

"Mom, Mom...yes, everything is set up. She's 9 months, almost 10, May 16th." He said then closed his eyes and braced himself for the next barrage of questions from her, but there wasn't any.

"Oh, Greg! That's great! You know I've always wanted to be a grandma! You have to send pictures!" She ranted on and on and it

actually made him smile until he heard, "George! We got a granddaughter!" His head flung to the back of the headrest and was just waiting to hear what his father had to say about that. But, there was nothing.

After several seconds his mother said, "Dad and I can come down in a couple of weeks and..."

"No, uh, I'd love to have you guys here but," He hesitated a moment, wondering what exactly he could say to prevent them from coming. "It's just that we need some time, actually I need some time with her, just us."

There was silence for a moment. "Greg, how long has she been with you?"

House looked at his watch first then said, "A while, but still..."

"Well, I understand. Wow, I can't believe this. You let us know when things settle down, ok?"

"Of course, Mom." He hesitated a moment. "I love you." He still had his eyes closed, but just saying that didn't hurt as bad as he thought it would.

The week went by faster than House had imagined it would have. He'd had Wilson, Sarah and Charlie over for dinner one night, Cameron and Chase came over on the following weekend and she adored C.T., even offered to babysit if he ever wanted to go out. "_If_ you ever go out." Chase threw in sarcastically, which made Cameron hit him on the arm, but laughed afterward.

Cuddy had popped in on her way home from work one day as well. House had been sitting on the floor trying to get C.T. to walk. When Cuddy came in she sat opposite of him and they tried to coax her to walk, which didn't work.

"Well, looks like she's just like her daddy, huh? She'll walk when she's ready." Cuddy said.

House looked at her funny, like he'd just been slapped.

"Oh, Greg, that's not what I meant." And that was enough to make him smile.

While they were playing with her on the floor, she gave him an update of what was going on at the hospital. She said Dr. Firth had put in a letter of commendation to the CDC, and that they might be contacting her for an 'Emergency Situation' document for her to prepare.

A little bit later, Cuddy was saying goodbye as she walked out the door.

House asked, "So, no clinic duty for me, right? You know, fatherhood and all." Then added a flirtatious, 'aren't I cute' grin.

"Uh, no. See you at 9 am...sharp!"

"9:15?"

"9:00!"

"9:30?"

"Let's put it this way, for every minute past 9:00 you're late, you'll have an hour extra clinic duty." She winked then walked away to her car. He smiled and stood in the doorway watching to make sure she got in ok.

That Sunday, the night before he had to go back to work after his too short leave of absence, he had packed a bag with C.T.'s clothes and some food to take to Wilson's. He put some newspapers down in the master bathroom along with Wayni's bed so she wouldn't have any accidents while he was at work. Charlie had begged his 'Uncle Greg' to bring her but Sarah told him it was too much for him.

He was in a good mood that night, and the thought occurred to him that the last Vicodin he'd taken was at noon. His thoughts went to his leg, and although the pain was bad, he tried to force himself not to get up and take a couple. He rolled over and a few minutes later it occurred to him: 'I am just too exhausted to get up!' A few minutes later he was in a blissful sleep.

House pulled in to the parking lot at 8:59 the following morning. He sat in his car a second to mentally prepare himself for the day. The past week with C.T. had been great, and he waited to see if the 'pang' of guilt would strike him at the thought of leaving C.T. with Sarah. Overall, he thought it went very smoothly. When he first got to their house Charlie immediately kept her busy long enough for him to sneak out after he said his goodbyes to her.

He smiled as the picture of his little girl came to him. He wanted to make sure he put her in the dress that Sarah and Wilson bought for her, although it was a dress she'd wear only for a festive occasion, like Easter or a family picture. But what he didn't know was that Sarah had kept a few play outfits 'just in case.'

He walked into the lobby of PPTH and headed for the elevator. He purposefully avoided looking into Cuddy's office as he walked by. He walked to his office and saw Foreman, Chase and Rog sitting at the conference table and Cameron at the desk in the corner going through more letters.

"Good morning, Dr. House!" Cameron said cheerfully as she stood up and went to the coffee machine, poured a cup and handed it to him as he walked in.

"'Mornin'." He muttered. He didn't want them to know he was in a good mood. After all, he did have a reputation to keep up at the hospital. He nodded as he took the cup from Cameron.

"I've got a couple of letters I think you should look at." She said.

"Yeah, she's been putting them in alphabetical order by suspected diagnosis." Chase said then laughed, teasing her.

"Uh, well, they're not anymore. I dropped them last week. Oh, uh, Cameron, sorry but I dropped the papers last week and they're not in order anymore." Rog said seriously, but tried to laugh.

And he did when she laughed and the others joined in, including House, who stopped laughing when there was a tap on the plate glass window. He looked at the gang with his back to it and mouthed, "who is it".

"Angelina! She's in labor! Dial 911!" Foreman said jokingly.

House rolled his eyes and automatically turned around and started to walk to the door. He opened it and said, "Hey, Boss! I got here at 9! I had to get coffee! I need my coffee."

"House, pulling into the parking lot does constitute 'arriving' to work. Now get downstairs." She said then smiled. "Welcome back."

House walked down to the nurse's station in the lobby, grabbed a patient file from the nurse and walked to exam room 2.

"Sweating, cramps, weakness, nausea...looks like you're pregnant Ms...Mr. Tyler. Oh, wrong guess."

"Tyler Goodman." The man said, wiping his forehead then holding his stomach. "This hit me all of a sudden...I just got back from...uggh..." He wretched, leaned forward and House barely had enough time to step back before the man threw up on the floor.

House wrinkled his nose, opened the door and screamed, "Clean up, Isle 2!" He stepped back in the room, avoiding the mess on the floor and handed the man a pan, he took it and threw up in it again.

House stood as far away as possible to avoid the mess as a custodian came in a mopped up the floor. When he closed the door behind him, he stood back waiting for Tyler to get control of himself.

When he did, House asked, "Add vomiting...what else?"

He rattled off symptoms as House took his blood pressure. "Ok, stop talking." He said because it couldn't get a proper reading while the man talked. House frowned when he felt his pulse, which was about 115 bpm, his b.p. was 195/110.

"You taking medication for high blood pressure?" House asked. Tyler shook his head.

"And you haven't been out partying last night? Say, with speed?"

"No, no. I was in L.A. last night, flew back this mornin...hey, can I lie down?" Tyler asked but he was already on his way down on the table. He scratched the inside of his right thigh.

"Probably just the flu. Winter will do that, you know. I'm going to get a nurse with Procardia to get your b.p. down...how's the nausea?"

"Still ba...bad...it's my stoma...t's...worst."

"Ok, I'll be back in a few." He said as he turned to walk out.

"Daw...ca...brea..." He started to say but couldn't talk further. House rushed back to him and placed the stethoscope over his heart, then opened the door, called for a nurse to bring the medication. He came back in and in that short time Tyler's breathing had somewhat stabilized.

"Head hur...aspirin?" Tyler asked as sweat continued to condense on his forehead.

"Not until we assess your condition. Headache?"

Tyler stiffly nodded his head. A moment later the nurse walked in with a syringe, handed it to House and walked out. He cleaned the inside of Tyler's arm and gave him the injection.

"This will take a few minutes...the nurse will be right back in."

"O..." Tyler belched and rolled over on his side a bit more, barely making it to the pan before he violently vomited again.

House left as quick as he could as he went to the nurse's station and asked her to get a nurse to attend to Tyler. He grabbed another patient's folder, but just as he approached the waiting patients, the nurse rushed out of Tyler's room and called for House.

"He's gone into cardiac arrest!"

He rushed back into his room and quickly administered CPR while a crash cart was brought in. After several minutes of shocking his heart back to sinus rhythm, his heartbeat became regular again. House stood back and let the attending nurses continue care while he reviewed more closely his initial consult with the nurse.

He told them to admit him, as he was curious why a healthy man of 25 went into cardiac arrest. He walked up to the conference room and walked in as if he had an important FBI document on the location of Osama. He went straight to the white board without saying a word as the four doctors watched him write the following symptoms down: 'general weakness, sweating, vomiting, difficult breathing, cardiac arrest'

The four hadn't paid special concern about the first three symptoms, but leaned forward when they saw 'cardiac arrest.'

"Go." House simply said.

They went over several possibilities but nothing came to any of them. He ordered several blood tests and an EKG.

Just as the four stood up House said, "How many idiot doctors does it take to draw blood and an EKG? Hmmm, let me think..." He looked at each of them individually and counted, "one, two, three, four? That doesn't sound right. Cameron, Rog, you go."

Both Chase and Foreman grunted and sat back down as their two colleagues headed out, while he silently headed to his office, put on his headphones and sat in his chair. He closed his eyes as the comfort of the chair seemed to overcome him and he grinned_. 'Like an old glove.'_ He thought to himself.

The tune that came from his Ipod was 'Never Be the Sun' by Delores Keane, an Irish singer. Melissa had several Celtic CDs that she'd play constantly, and there were some that House really liked. This particular song was one that they both shared a fondness for. It wasn't so much the words, but the softness of the guitar playing and the harmony of the woman's voice.

'You'll never be the sun turning in the sky.  
And you won't be the moon above us on a moonlit night.  
And you won't be the stars in heaven, although they burn so bright.  
But even on the deepest ocean you will be the light.

You may not always shine as you go barefoot over the stone.  
You might belong together or you might walk alone.  
And you won't find that love comes that easy or that love is always right.  
So even when the dark clouds gather, you'll be the light.

And if you lose a part inside when love turns 'round on you.  
Leaving the past behind is knowing you'll do like you always do.  
Holding you blind, keeping you true.

You'll never be the sun turning in the sky.  
And you won't be the moon above us on a moonlit night.  
And you won't be the stars in heaven, although they burn so bright.  
But even on the deepest ocean, you will be the light.

You will be the light...you will be the light.'

Just as the last strum of the guitar string played he felt eyes blaring into him and he reluctantly opened one eye, hoping it couldn't be seen. He grunted when he saw Cuddy standing at his desk with a scowl on her face.

"One patient? You see one and you think that's it?" She said.

"I'm going over a patient's file."

"I'm not a moron." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

He sat up, took off the headphones and clasped his hands together. "I had a 25 yr old male go into cardiac arrest. Curious, huh?"

She frowned and asked several questions, with House telling her they didn't come up with a solid diagnosis. Cuddy shook her head and walked out.

Down in the lab, Cameron was at the microscope looking for any bacteria in the blood of Tyler, and Rog was looking at a monitor for the blood results for anything out of the ordinary.

"Allison, his red blood cells are almost completely destroyed."

"Hemolytic anemia? That means an outside source must have destroyed them but from what?" She asked perplexed. She hesitated a moment. "Rog, is everything between you and Cuddy okay now?"

He paused before he looked up at her. "They will be, I guess."

Cameron nodded her head, not from being satisfied with the answer but wondered if he was just avoiding the question.

"I think we should go back and check Tyler's b.p., see if any more symptoms have developed." Cameron suggested.

Up in House's office, he was sitting at his desk when Foreman walked in.

"House, I'm just wondering about some..." He started to say.

"Oh, no, Wilson and I are not 'partners,' but he is one sexy beast, don't you think?" House said with a smirk but kept his eyes on the GameBoy he was playing.

Foreman sneered. "What's up with the lack of cases the past few months?"

"Well, first it was Thanksgiving then Christmas then Stacy died then I got a daughter then New Year's came then Melissa died then a plague hit. Is that a good enough excuse for you?" House finally looked up at his 'charge'. "Doesn't Tylenol Goodwrench count as a patient?"

"I really think you need to take a 'How to Remember Names' class 'cuz you lack the expertise to hold the information in your brain." Foreman said very insulting.

"Uh, might I remind you that although you were my 'boss' for less than a month, I am your boss now."

"You can't take a joke?" Foreman asked, challenging House.

"That was a joke? Then I really think you should take a 'How to Make a Joke' class 'cuz you lack the expertise to create one worthy." House shot back. "What's going on with you, Foreman?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're normally belligerent, which I ignore, but why the personal attack?"

Foreman stood there a second trying to think of the real reason he'd felt 'trapped', but decided he wasn't in the mood at the moment to continue what he'd started. He shrugged his shoulders, turned around and walked out without saying a word, almost running into Wilson as he was coming in.

"Hey." Wilson said. "I need your help."

"What, again?"

"I'm not asking for money." Wilson added.

"Good, cuz I don't have any." House said.

"It's Nurse Carmen. She's come into my office three times Friday and twice already this morning, even when I was with patients."

"You're a stud muffin, Wilson! The woman can't keep their hands off you. What's the favor?"

"Tell her I'm gay." He said seriously but tried to keep a straight face.

"Oh, there's already a rumor going around about me and you. Besides, she knows you're not gay...well, right?" He said with a snicker.

"I've practically had to shove her out of my off..."

"Then give her my number if she needs some." House said, then immediately regretted what he'd said. His attention was drawn to the hallway when he saw Cameron and Rog walk into the conference room.

"Saved by the kiddies." House said as he stood up. "But you and I aren't done talking...hunk." Then he walked into the conference room.

"Dr. House, Rog and I think it's a bite of some sort." Cameron said as she walked to the white board and was about to write down what they'd found in the lab.

House's pager went off. He looked down at it and said, "Come on. Ty's just had convulsions."

The three walked into Tyler Goodman's room, with House standing back in the corner, observing.

"This isn't a normal convulsion." Cameron stated as they helped another nurse hold him down while the convulsions subsided.

"Tyler, Tyler, what is it?"

"It won't stop...I can't..." He muttered then scratched the inside of his right thigh.

Cameron frowned and pulled down the sheet that covered him up to his waist, pulling his gown just above mid thigh. House's eyebrows rose and he stepped closer for a better look. There was a 3-inch rash in the shape of a circle; the middle had a 1-inch raised white puss bubble and the edges were beginning to turn a dark grey.

"His b.p. is still high, 190/98, pulse 118. No fever." Nurse Carmen informed them then smiled evilly as she looked out in the hall and saw Wilson walk by. "Oh, I have to see to another patient." She said as she raced out of the room.

"Tyler, have you ever had anxiety attacks before?" House asked.

"No, no." He answered as he tried to scratch his thigh again but Cameron held his hand down.

"Do you remember being bitten by anything?" Cameron asked.

"No. But I started getting nauseous right after I unpacked and it just got worse." Cameron looked at House and his eyes showed that he agreed with her initial diagnosis.

"Where exactly did you stay in California?" House asked, remembering he said he'd just got back from there.

"Mmmmnsfarm..." He slurred, unintelligently.

House nodded his head and walked out. Rog followed him out and Cameron stayed to continue monitoring Tyler. House walked into the conference room and went directly to the white board. He wrote: 'brown recluse sider...wolf spider...black widow'.

"Which is it?" House simply said. Chase, Foreman and Rog looked over the latest notes of his symptoms.

After a moment Chase said, "Wolf spider." House shook his head disappointedly, turned around and crossed off 'wolf spider.'

"Nope. Lymph nodes aren't swollen, that only occurs with wolf spider bites. Any other uneducated guesses?"

Rog offered, "Black widow."

"And why do you say that? Or are you just choosing 'door number 2?'" House asked.

"Simple. He's been to California where they are native, he stayed on a farm and they just love dark corners. He has no fever, if he did, that would mean brown recluse. Plus, when we were just there he's lost his ability to speak."

House smiled at Rog, looked at Chase and said sarcastically, "And the winner goes to...get him on Augstatin, 20 mg stat...good call, Rog."

"Dr. House, it says here the injection site appears to be starting to become neurcrotic." Foreman said.

"Yeah, I saw that too. Let's see what my suggestion of antibiotics does, first, before we amputate his leg." He said tersely.

Later that afternoon, Tyler's condition hadn't changed but House determined the antibiotics may take 24 hours, so he headed out of the clinic to pick up his daughter from Sarah and Wilson's.

He drove the mid-rush hour streets of Plainsboro again in a happy mood. It scared him, a little, being so happy. Or, was it he was just used to being miserable and now that he had a reason to live he wasn't so miserable? There was a sharp pain in his leg that reminded him that, yes, he indeed was somewhat miserable. But he could live with that. As he stopped at a red light he pulled out his bottle of Vicodin and popped two into his mouth, which was only the third time that day he'd had to take it. He'd weaned himself off his normal three, sometimes four pills in one pop for two, and he was proud of himself.

He knocked on their front door and heard little steps run to the door with a little 'thump'. The door slowly opened and Charlie screamed, "OW! I hi' my head!" Then he laughed while rubbing his forehead.

Charlie escorted his Uncle Gweg to the kitchen where Sarah was just finishing feeding C.T. her dinner. When she saw him she beamed a huge smile and kicked her feet in joy.

"Hmmm, yum! 'Cream of Turkey, Disintegrated Peas and Pureed Pear.' Leave some for me, will ya, little girl?" House said she he patted her on the top of the head.

"Uncle Gweg! We wants to show you sumfin'! She wa..." Sarah interrupted him.

"She wants more dinner." Sarah said, putting her forefinger up to her lips in a 'shhshh' motion.

When C.T. was done eating, Sarah wiped her face and hands, removed the chair tray and handed her to her dad. He threw his arms up in the air with her face right in his as he cooed and smiled.

"Uh, Greg, I wouldn't do th..." Sarah started to say but it was too late. C.T. had spit about 1/2 cup of milk mixed with pea mush and turkey guts on his face and some got into his mouth.

"Uck! Oh my god!" He said as he brought her back down and set her on the floor. Sarah roared with a laugh and Charlie giggled as House walked to the sink and ran water over his face. Charlie ran after C.T. as she started to run down the hall.

"I'm sorry, Greg. I tried to warn you." Sarah said, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Yeah, very funny. That's the first time she's done that. Ok, remind me to mark that on my 'What Not to Do List'." Then the two walked into the living room. House froze in the doorway as he saw C.T. on her feet, taking two little steps toward Charlie before she plopped her butt on the floor then crawled on her hands a feet in a flash. House smiled, which disappeared as soon as it had appeared.

"Don't worry, Greg. We got it videotaped, her first steps." Sarah said, tapping her hand on his shoulder as she walked by him. "Come here and sit down." She said as she told Charlie to sit in one corner of the room, and pointed to where House should sit.

"Ok, ready, Charnie?" Sarah asked as she placed her at Charlie's feet facing House. She immediately started to crawl on her hands and feet toward House and he got a look of disappointment.

"Ok, wait, pick her up on her feet and let her walk to Charlie." Sarah suggested, as she held the camcorder in her hand to record the three.

He did so, and she hesitantly took one step, then another, then another until she met Charlie's outstretched arms and fell into him. Sarah applauded along with House as he said, "Way to go!" House was as proud as any father could be. They let her walk back and forth a few times before the front door opened and Wilson walked in.

"Hey, guys!" He greeted them as he took off his coat and hung it in the closet.

Charlie went running to him and gave him a big hug. "Charlie, wanna come help me with the big people's dinner, now?" Sarah said as she stepped toward Wilson and gave him a kiss before she and Charlie headed to the kitchen.

Wilson walked in the living room and sat on the couch as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. House sat with C.T. between his legs, with his right leg as straight as he could make it. As she moved around she'd occasionally lean against his leg and he'd wince then gently lift her away from his leg. But within minutes she'd find it again and repeat her 'gonna tortue daddy' game of leaning into his leg.

"So, how is psycho woman?" House asked with a snicker.

"Do you have no couth? And the same. Can't you get Cuddy to fire her or something?" He asked hopefully.

"Oh, please. That woman doesn't listen to me."

"That's because Cuddy's smart. Seriously, I've got to do something about her. She brought me a basket of fruit and cookies this afternoon. I just gave it to a patient that was leaving."

"I'd be careful what you have for dinner, Wilson. There might be rabbit stew in the pot one night." He said then laughed.

"You know, that's funny, but not really." Wilson replied and they both laughed.

House took the cue it was time to leave when Sarah announced dinner was ready. He thanked Sarah, gave Charlie a 'big man's handshake' and started out the door.

"Thanks for the tape, Sarah. That was a good idea."

"Hey, don't thank me. Thank LizBeth." Sarah said with a wink as she closed the door before House could scoff at her again.

House thought he had prepared himself to be able to carry both C.T. and her bag of clothes from 'her babysitter's', but the first day was always the toughest. He'd have to talk to them about keeping just a few things at their place to make it easier for him. Not that he was making excuses to make it easier for him, but with his cane and extra weight from C.T. on his arm it was more difficult to walk.

He unlocked his front door, walked in, set C.T. in the playpen in the living room and went back out to his car, making sure he put a brick in front of the door so it wouldn't close all the way and get himself locked out again. He walked into the kitchen to find something to make himself dinner, even though he wasn't really all that hungry. Then he remembered Wayni was in the bathroom, went to get her and let her do her business outside.

He went back to the refrigerator and looked over its contents. He had some jalepeno peppers and the makings for a mexican dish, so he set about chopping and preparing dinner, all the while keeping his ears open listening to C.T. gurgling and laughing and hearing Wayni's toenails tap on the hardwood floor.

He set his plate on the table, got C.T., set her in her purple highchair and gave her some pudding on a plate, a paper plate. That was lesson #3. She happily stuck her fingers in it, brought it to her nose and smelled it. She started that quirk the week earlier when he had given her a little chunk of jalepeno peppers, and the expression on her face when she put it in her mouth made him laugh for five minutes. Ever since then, she'd started to smell her food before she'd eat it.

After he finished eating, he prepared her 'night bottle' and took her into her bedroom. He changed her into her one piece nightie quickly. Not because he was in a hurry, but it took him just a week to get the one piece outfits on her without breaking her delicate arms and legs. He placed her in the crib, and a second or two later she started to whimper.

"Okay, ok. I'll go get a book. Hold on, princess." He said as he left the room for a moment and returned with three books in his hand.

"We have 'The Workings of the Human Brain'... no, that won't work. How 'bout '23 Perfect Ways to Meet a Woman'...no, not that, either. I'm afraid to read the next one. OH! Great. 'Curious George!'"

He smiled at C.T., which made her smile then she sat down, stuck the bottle in her mouth and looked up at her dad. He lovingly covered her with her blanket and started to read the story. By the time he'd gotten to the third page, her eyes were closed but she was slightly sucking the mouth piece of the bottle.

He stopped reading, leaned against the crib carefully so as not to wake her and stared at her. He'd been doing a lot of that lately. The thoughts that ran through his head were, 'What kind of woman will she be? How smart will she be?' But he'd always laugh when he'd tell himself, 'I'd be happy with anything, as long as she doesn't date a man like me.'

He quietly stepped over to the dresser, turned on the music box that Stacy got her and stood there staring at it. After all he and Stacy had been through, he wanted to make sure C.T. knew all about her mom, regardless of their recent past history. He loved Stacy once, and there was no reason why he couldn't give her daughter good memories of the mother she never knew.

He stepped out of her room and closed the door, leaving it just a little cracked. He walked to the liquor cart, looked at the bottle of Scotch and decided he didn't want any. He surprised himself when he did that for the first time last week. He grabbed his coat, walked to the closet to hang it up and stopped when he saw Melissa's helmet he'd bought for her the previous summer when they went riding on his bike. His heart skipped a beat then he hung the coat up, sighed then closed it. He didn't know why he kept the helmet.

He had nothing else to do. For the first time in a long, long time he actually didn't have a clue what can keep him busy. He

looked toward Steve McQueen who was running in his wheel. He walked to his cage, changed his water, dropped some cheese left over from his dinner and turned around. He was looking dead on at his piano, and it just looked sooo sad to House. He had the 'key cover' on it and it looked so neglected.

He looked at C.T.'s door, figured it would be safe to pound out some keys and walked to it, pulled out the bench, removed the cover and sat down. He ran his fingers seductively over the keys and pressed one at a time, until a tune came to his head and he played 'Danny Boy.' He belted it out now like he had when Melissa was sitting next to him watching him play. She loved watching him play.

As the note slowly faded away, the phone rang. He grunted and walked to the phone, only then realizing he didn't have his cane.

"Hello?" House closed his eyes and cocked his head back toward the ceiling while he felt a knot build in his stomach when he heard the voice on the other end.

Early the next morning, House dropped C.T. off at Wilson and Sarah's. House planned on having a serious one-on-one discussion with Wilson, especially after the call last night, but Wilson left an hour earlier.

House walked into the lobby of PPTH planning on going straight to the conference room to check on the condition of Tyler Goodman, but Nurse Carmen caught him at the elevator.

"Dr.HousehaveyouseenJa…Dr.Wilson?" She said, ending up jumbling all the vowels and syllables together.

House stood and looked at her like she were an alien, wondering why in the hell Wilson recommended her to take care of him when he was sick. He couldn't think of what to say, so he decided to say nothing. Thankfully the doors slid open and he made a quick escape. He went directly to Wilson's office instead of his own. He found Wilson hiding behind a bookshelf and chuckled.

"Aw, Wilson. I think it's cute how she's pining for you." House teased as he sat down.

"Shut up, House. I found another note on my car last night."

"That is so high schoolish. Did you ask her to the prom?"

"Man, at home. She left the note on the windshield at home. She knows where I live." Wilson croaked as he peeked around the corner to see if the hallway was clear. He slowly scooted out and sat behind his desk. "I can't keep doing this."

"You'll just have to let her down gently." House said as he sat down as well. "She called MY house last nigh…"

"YOU GAVE HER MY ADDRESS?" Wilson said aghast.

"No, dimwit, of course not. She wanted to know what she could do to make you change your mind about her."

"What did you tell her?"

"I told her to put a note on your car." He said seriously then bust out laughing.

"Man, this is serious! Hey, Dr. Cuddy." Wilson interrupted himself when she walked in without knocking.

"Dr. Wilson, may I speak with you alone?" She asked as she looked sternly at House to leave.

"Uh, yeah, well, okay. I'll call the custodian to clean up the blood on the walls." House joked as he walked out.

But he went to his office, walked out onto the balcony and peered into Wilson's office to see if he could figure out what was going on, although he knew Wilson would tell him later anyway. Cuddy looked as empathetic as she could, but toward the end of the conversation she seemed very upset.

"…fix it." Was all House could read from her lips before she walked out. He grinned to himself and made a mental note to corner Wilson later.

He strolled back into the conference room and asked the four doctors what was going on. All four of them started to talk at the same time. "Alright, alright. I don't really care. It was a rhetorical question." House told them.

"Tyler Goodman is in surgery. The tissue around the bite totally became neucrotic and it had to be removed." Cameron told him as she handed him a few letters, but he didn't take them so she put them on the table in front of him.

"They removed his leg?" House asked, shocked.

"They removed the dead tissue, Dr. House, not his leg." Foreman emphasized, with them all looking at him like he was oblivious to what was going on.

House nodded his head then raised his eyebrows as he saw Nurse Carmen walk by, heading in the direction of Wilson's office. He smirked and walked back to his office, locked the front door and sat on the chair, pushing it closer against the wall so he could hear better if anything 'juicy' was said.

It was quiet at first, then he heard her voice grow louder but he couldn't make out the words. He felt the wall vibrate as he assumed she had stormed out, but when he opened his eyes he saw Cuddy staring down at him.

"Ever heard of the word 'privacy?'" She asked.

"Yeah. It's what you're invading right now." He said.

"House," She said as she sat in the chair across from him. "Greg, I need to talk to you about starting your counseling sessions again. That still hasn't been resolved."

House looked at her blankly as he saw Nurse Carmen storm down the hall in a huff, glancing at him with a look that could kill.

"Fine." He simply said.

She looked at him in amazement. "Wow, you've become easier to get along with." She said as she stood up.

"I didn't say fine…I said 'fire'."

She shook her head and walked out. He looked at the phone, thinking about calling Dr. Parker then out in the hall hoping Wilson was on his way over but there was no one in the hall. He reluctantly called Dr. Parker's office, set a time for that afternoon and hung up.

"What is that little girl DOING to me?" He asked out loud, throwing his hands up in the air. He put the headphones on, threw a couple of pills down his throat and propped his feet on his desk. He turned on the t.v., put his head back, wondering what he had to do to be back to his 'old self.'

He's a grown man, flying above his old neighborhood, the one he grew up in. He feels light as a feather, and absolutely peaceful, no pain, no worries, carefree. He sees his old classmates playing baseball in the streets; girls are roller skating on the sidewalks; LizBeth is sitting on the front porch with her chin in her hands, watching everyone have a good time. He tries to swoosh down to say hello to her, but instead of swooshing down a current of wind brisks him up and away from the street…..

…He's still his current age, but he's swaying back and forth as a bird over an ocean, with echoes of seagulls gawking in his ears and the sound of the waves slightly cresting calms him even more…

…He's now college age, flying around his campus, very content, although he is slightly worried about LizBeth, who's still living at home. The more he flies above, the more dread he feels, and it builds and builds itself within him…

…He's flying above a cemetery, looking down at trees and benches as he tries to decide which to land on. He flies around for a second longer and comes across a white marble headstone the shape of an angel. He swoops down and lands right in front of it. 'Elizabeth Ann House' it reads. He sees a flash in the corner of his eye and looks up at the horizon, where the flash of whatever it was just diminishes.

He feels a sense of doom; that his life is at an end, but within seconds, not years. He desperately looks at the headstone waiting for the impending wave to overtake him and every muscle in his body becomes jello and he braces himself for the impact and he looks at the headstone saying over and over, 'LizBeth'. His body becomes completely numb and there's not one ounce of pain or worry or hatred or dread registering in his entire body...he spreads his arms out and waits…and waits… and waits….

Suddenly his right leg fell to the floor and woke him up from the dream, or nightmare he'd been having. He shook his head as he sat up rubbing his right leg. He remembered the dream and the feeling of no pain and complete bliss but jumped when the phone rang. He saw 'Dr. Parker' in the window on the phone and picked up it. He apologized, sincerely, told her he'd fallen asleep and said he'd be right in. He stretched, yawned and headed out the door to Dr. Parker's office.

Fifteen minutes into his counseling session, House still had only said a total of three words. Dr. Parker was becoming impatient and upset.

"Dr. House, I can't help you if you don't talk to me. And it looks like I'm going to say this again like I've said it before. If you choose not to, you are welcome to leave." She told him sternly. But this time House didn't move. He didn't know what he wanted to say but he didn't move or smart-talk back to her like he had before.

She started to play 20 Questions again to see if he would open up with her. "I heard about Melissa's death. How are you handling being home with just you and Charnie?" He stared at her a moment when she said, 'just you and Charnie,' like he couldn't do it on his own without someone else there.

"So far good. Actually, better than expected." He answered honestly. She looked him over as if she were waiting for the lie detectors to go off.

"I see here you just started back to work yesterday after a three week absence. How are you feeling physically since you've been sick?"

And in a split second where House allowed the door of trust to open between them, he told her he was still tired but that it wouldn't take long to get used to his new schedule; how he'd made significant adjustments at home for C.T.'s safety; how she makes him laugh and clothes shopping; he's satisfied with Sarah watching her; he's had a few bad days when he thinks of Melissa and Stacy but he does what he can; and laughed when he told her of the dream he'd just had.

"Dr. House, for some reason I believe you. Good. Okay, I remember you mentioned LizBeth and how you didn't want to disappoint her." After a moment of silence from him, she grinned because she knew the openness between them wouldn't last forever.

"Why are you afraid to let her down?" She asked as she leaned forward in her chair as if to reassure him it was okay to say whatever he had to say. "Were you afraid of letting Melissa down because you felt you'd let LizBeth down?"

His eyes flew open and she thought she saw a shimmer of tear, but it was just the reflection of the light next to him. "I never said I let LizBeth down."

"With LizBeth's suicide, did you feel as if you didn't protect her? Save her?" At that question she did see a shimmer of tear build up in his eyes and she knew she'd just hit a gold mine.

"So, Dr. House, you felt protective of Melissa because you couldn't abandon her as you feel you abandoned your sister. And by not being there for her you have kept away every person who can give you genuine love and affection you want…and need."

His eyes began to fill with more tears and they rolled down his cheeks. He had long since stopped looking at her because she had hit a nerve with him and he just couldn't look her in her eyes.

"You sit in the shadows, finding the cause of every ailment brought to you without forming some sort of bond between you and your patients. Dr. House, do you know what becomes of a person who doesn't love, or can't love, or can't feel love?" She hesitated a moment before she continued.

"You."

Dr. Parker waited and watched House as he composed himself after the cry he'd just had. He had walked to the window, just stared out not saying a word.

"Dr. House?" she said but he didn't respond. "I am truly sorry for Stacy's death, but having Charnie in your life now will mean

all the difference in the world to you. Meaning, when you don't want to wake up on a morning your leg hurts particularly badly or want to jump off the highest bridge or smash into a brick wall.

"You have a focus now, don't you see? Everything is no longer about you, or whether it's you that correctly diagnosis a patient or able to go off and leave all of your responsibilities behind. You have your little girl now. And she needs you to protect her, to take care of her, to LOVE her."

House turned around abruptly at her last few words and looked directly at Dr. Parker. "Can I leave now?" He asked as he wiped his cheeks.

"After you answer one thing." She replied. He rolled his eyes, grabbed his cane, walked to the door, reached for the doorknob then turned around and faced her again.

"What?"

"Am I right?"

The silence in the room could have cut through stone and House continued to keep eye contact without blinking. He turned the knob, nodded his head only enough to indicate 'yes' and walked out into the hallway.

Dr. House walked toward his office but decided to head up to the roof, even though he didn't have a jacket. He didn't care. The cold air hitting his face should refresh him a little bit.

As he stepped out onto the roof and the door closed behind him, he stopped and stared at the exact spot he and Stacy were standing when he confronted her. He heard himself say then: _'You can have a relationship with Mark, or you can have one with me. But you can't have us both.' _ He closed his eyes as he remembered the tear fall down her cheek, but not what she said after that. It was all a blur to him. He just remembered that everything went downhill from there.

He sighed, opened his eyes then sauntered to the edge. He peered down at the courtyard. _'Drat. Only one floor down, damnit. Not much damage there.'_ He thought to himself. He stood there a moment before he heard a quiet sniffle coming from behind him. At first he thought he was imagining it, that it was Stacy's voice he heard.

But when he turned around, there was a girl of about 16 sitting in the corner, grasping her knees to her chest and silently crying, but heavy tears pours down her cheeks landing on her arms. She was unaware she wasn't alone.

House rolled his eyes, as there was another patient in distress that he didn't want to help. He wanted to sneak by her and go downstairs and pretend he never saw her. But then he heard Dr. Parker's voice questioning him about 'rescuing' everyone but never allowing them to get any closer than at least 20 blocks. He looked up at the sky amazed at himself he was actually going to go talk to her. He reached inside his trousers, pulled out his bottle of Vicodon and popped two in his mouth.

He walked over to her and poked the top of her foot with his cane to get her attention. She didn't respond. He did it again only harder. She started to rock to and fro, the tears falling harder and her cries more pitiful.

He turned to walk away when he heard her say, "Aaaare you a doct…"

He twisted around and said, "It depends. You a patient?"

She peered up at him, saying as she sniffled, "Yeah, kinda." Her gaze went down to his leg but she didn't say anything.

"Then I think you missed your floor." He hesitated a moment. "I'll go get someone." He said before heading back to the door.

"No...pl…staaaa." She pleaded.

He finally turned back around and leaned against the wall. "You know, it's pretty cold out here. What'd ya say we go back inside and we can talk."

"Tiiii-erd of talkin'…hurrrts." She said, starting to cry again.

He had his pager in his trouser pocket. He blindly reached in, dialed Wilson's with a '911roof' and hit send. His expertise with doing that had come in handy on quite a few occasions.

"What hurts?" He asked, not that he cared. He was just killing time until Wilson made it up there.

"Alllll overrr…" She muttered then wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "Whuu happpen' yooore…leg?"

"I was walking my chicken across the street and…"

"Wha'? Whhyy?"

"Duh. To get to the other side. Hey, thought you didn't want to talk." He said.

"Dok Parrrrk…"

'_Oh, great. Psycho.'_ He thought to himself.

"Don' look 't me like tha'. Payyyn manage…sucks." She said, and he thought she tried to stifle a smile.

"She's not bad. You just have to bring her chocolates." He lied, knowing full well he didn't see the doctor for pain management.

"Yo…you know herrr?"

"No, I just like sitting in her comfy chairs watching General Hospital." He answered sarcastically, and that time he thought he did see the beginning of a smile.

"Yooore leg botherrrs you, too?"

"No, I get tons 'a chicks walking with a limp and using the cane. Great ice breaker."

"Yooore funneeee…tol' ya Dr. Parrkerrr suckssss…" Then she grabbed her stomach tight and started to cry and moan.

Wilson still hadn't come up to the roof and he was beginning to get cold to the bone. "Make a deal with you. You come in with me and you can stay in my office until Dr. Parker leaves. Then you can go home." He said, feeling horrible he lied to her.

She looked up at him hopefully at the thought. Just then the door opened and Wilson rushed through. He stopped abruptly when he saw House and the girl sitting on the cold concrete roof.

"House! What's the problem?" Wilson said urgently.

"Nothing. She needs to be escorted to the third floor. Dr. Parker." He said as he tried to sneak off the roof.

"noo…nooo" She mumbled between sobs.

He looked at Wilson. "Fine, fine." He said regrettably. "My office. I'll be in the cafeteria. You own me lunch, bro."

Wilson gave him a dirty look as he turned to look at the girl but she just sat there as House walked through the door.

Almost 15 minutes later, House stood in the cafeteria check-out line, trying to kill time waiting for Wilson to come down to pay for his lunch. When he didn't, he irately paid the cashier and headed up to his office. He figured he could eat in the conference while avoiding the girl.

He walked past his office where he saw Wilson and the girl sitting on the couch. She had completely stopped crying and had relaxed quite a bit. He walked into the conference room pretending not to notice them but a second later Wilson came in to the room.

"House, I think you should see Alyssa." Wilson told him as he tried to grab a French fry.

House smacked his hand. "Who's Alyssa? She's not on my hooker list." He said as he pulled his food away from Wilson.

He tilted his head toward House's office to indicate the girl that was sitting on his couch. "She's been seeing Dr. Parker for two months for chronic severe pain because her doctors can't find what's wrong with her. She's on an anti-depressant."

"Do we have to talk about this now? I'm trying to eat and then General Hospital comes on in 20 minutes." House asked hopefully.

"Give me a French fry and I'll leave, but you have to take the case." Wilson replied.

"Half a fry." He said because he was just semi-interested in the case.

"No. Now it's two fries, and you'll still take the case."

"Since when do you bargain with me, Wilson?"

"Since we've been friends for so long that I've picked up that fantastic character trait of yours." He said defiantly, swiftly grabbing more than two fries, laughed wickedly and walked out.

All House could do was snicker, but inwardly he was impressed with Wilson. _'Well, he did learn from the best.'_ He thought to himself.

Dr. House stuffed the last bite of his roast beef sandwich (they'd run out of corned beef and he yelled for 5 minutes), put the trash in the bag, rumpled the bag then aimed for the trash can. He put his hands up in victory when he made the clean shot.

"Nice shot." He heard a voice coming from the door to his office. He turned around sheepishly and looked at Alyssa, blushing just a little.

"Dr. Parker gone yet?" She asked him.

"How do I know? Am I our shrink's keeper?" He joked as seriously as he could as he grabbed his bottle of Vicodin he'd set on the table.

"Well, GH is on in a sec. Mind if I watch it before I go back home?" She asked.

House looked at her wondering what a 16 year old was doing watching a soap. _'Aren't you supposed to be in school?'_ He asked himself but he was wasting time talking with her while his show came on.

"How's the pain?" He asked as he stood up and walked toward her as she backed up.

"Still the same, but at least I'm calm now." She said as she sat back down on the couch.

"Here." He said as he threw her a Vicodin.

"What is it?" She asked as she looked at it funny.

"Happy pill."

She brought the pill up to her mouth but stopped, looking at him for something to wash it down with. He handed her his can of SunKist and a paper cup for her to pour some into. But instead she drank directly from the can, draining it completely in one gulp.

"Uh, aren't you going to ask if I have cooties?" He asked perturbed as he flipped on the t.v. and sat in his chair, propping his feet up on the desk.

"If you had cooties, you wouldn't have offered me the drink, right?"

House gave her a childish, 'I know you are but what am I' look as they both settled in to watch 'their' show.

Halfway through the program, Alyssa started moaning and whining, but blatantly trying to keep as quiet as she could. House finally gave her a dirty look and saw she'd started to cry again.

"Hey, I know it's sad Linda Bindadino died, but she deserved it for sleeping with her best friend's Uncle's cousin's sister." He said but it was clear she was in great pain.

House picked up the phone, dialed for a wheelchair, and set back in his chair to watch the rest of the soap.

"IIIIm tired 'a hurtin'. I should 'a jumped when I had the chance."

At first he ignored what she'd said but when he thought more about it, wasn't that what he was thinking when he first got to the roof? Just then an attendant walked in pushing the wheelchair.

"Chase!" He bellowed and it made Alyssa jump. Chase walked through the door. "Take Clarissa and get a complete blood culture on her. We have to catch up on our soap tomorrow so she's staying here."

Later that afternoon, Cameron was on the phone with Dr. Lindarosa about Tyler Goodman's condition. Just as she hung up Chase walked back in the room from getting Alyssa's blood but wouldn't get the results until the following morning.

She told him, "They removed most of the neucrotic tissue but more than they thought they'd have to. They were just shy of reaching the nerve. He's going to be in the same situation as House."

Chase's head twisted around to face her with a shocked look on his face. "Oh, don't tell me you've now got a crush on Tyler." He said, trying to be as serious as he could because he was just playing with her.

"Don't be a twerp, Chase! I meant about being in pain for possibly the rest of his life. What's with the girl that was in House's office earlier?" She asked.

"Oh, don't tell me you're jealous of _her_?" Chase shot back, imitating Cameron as best as he could.

"Nah, I am not jealous." Cameron said seriously. "Besides, Tyler doesn't have as cute a tushie as you do." She said as she walked by him and patted him on the 'back side'. He laughed then reached out quickly for her and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Robert, not in…" She started to say but he cut her off with a kiss, one that was soft and loving.

"Oh my god!" House said as he walked in. "I'm going to die! I've been infected with ChaCamKissItis! Help me! I'm blind!"

The two broke apart and Cameron whispered in his ear, "Save some of that for me later." He blushed as he grinned at her and sat down at the table.

Later that evening, after House picked up C.T. and finished making and eating their dinner, he put the tape of her taking her first steps at Wilson's that Sarah taped and set her on the couch. She scooted over and pressed herself against him, putting her little hand on his thigh and stuck her thumb in her mouth. Wayni was able to jump up on the sofa now, the leather sofa, in which House would always fuss at her. But with her little sad, puppy dog face, House would always allow her to. She jumped up next to C.T., did a few circles to get 'the right spot' and then plopped down, sighing.

On the tape, he watched as Sarah and Charlie sat on the floor calling for C.T. to come to them. She tried several times to stand up then would quickly fall on her butt, and every time she did she'd giggle. Sarah and Charlie would laugh along with her, until the moment she did take her first few steps.

"Look at THAT! You're a big girl now! YAH!" He'd tell C.T., who was fascinated at watching the t.v. "That's Aunt Sarah and Charlie! Do they look familiar?"

C.T. giggled beside him and he continued watching the tape. But there were a few times C.T.'s attention would be drawn to another part of the room, as if there were someone else there that was keeping her attention.

"Mommy! I's Aunt Stacy!" Charlie had hollered, pointing in the same direction that C.T. was looking.

"You know, I'm gonna have to reconsider you staying in that psycho ward." House said as he ran his fingers through her silky, baby-smelling hair. He noticed her neck felt a little 'crusty'.

"Come on, little one, let's get you a bath." He said as he stood up, picked her up and made his way to the bathroom. He set her down on the floor and was kept busy with Wayni as he filled the tub.

They played in the tub, and House couldn't help but recall the time when they and Melissa had taken a bath together. But this was different. It was just him and his daughter, and they had a great time. C.T. was between his legs, and for the first time noticed his right thigh. She looked at it, then look at him, then back down at his thigh. It was like she knew what it was, like she knew the pain he was in.

She put her hand on the scar but didn't seem afraid of it. She rubbed it a little, feeling the texture; she had just become fascinated with her book on feels-with the carpet and feathers and bubbles. She looked up at him, smiled, climbed up on him and kissed him on his chin. She rubbed her lips because it tickled her, and at the moment House knew.

House knew his little girl had won his heart.

The next morning, House entered PPTH in a happy mood and got onto the elevator. He Dr. Parker walk toward him and pressed the 'door close' button but she caught the doors just as they were about to close and she stepped in.

"Sorry. Thought I hit 'door open.'" He lied.

Dr. Parker gave him a 'Yeah, right' expression. "Dr. House, I really think it's time we get your parents here."

"Hey, we're not in your office. We're not supposed to talk outside your office. It's a rule." He said, staring at the door.

"Okay, how about a new class I'm starting, Pain Management, tomorrow night. I think you'll find it useful."

"Getting a hooker is useful. Talking is not." He said as the doors opened and he walked through. For the first time, when he joked about hookers, it didn't feel right. It was like it was the 'old' House. Like he was different somehow. Because of C.T.? He had no clue. All he knew was he was no longer in a happy mood.

He walked through the conference room, set his things on his desk and walked back in.

"House, how's your little girl?" Dr. Cameron asked, trying to get a feel for what kind of mood he was in.

'Great. How's your little boy?" He said sarcastically as he looked at Chase, who just rolled his eyes.

"House, Tyler Goodman is recuperating rather well." Rog told him. House turned around sharply.

"House? No Dr. House? When did I lose the Dr. part?"

"Since I'll be here full time, and I'm now official." Rog told him.

"Officially what? A certified clutz?" House replied.

"House, Alyssa had a rough night. She hardly slept and she has a mild fever." Foreman said, trying to abate the name calling. Her CBC showed Leukocytosis, Serum CK was normal but the MRI showed Hyperintense lesion on T2."

"Trichonosis?" Dr. Chase offered.

"No, there's no rash, no diarrhea. And it's definately not Actinomycosis." Foreman said.

"And she had no injury to any part of her body at some point?" House asked as he wrote the above symptoms on the white board.

"Are you thinking her overall general Myofasical pain is generated from a main area?" Rog asked.

"You're quick, Rog." House said and added 'active trigger point?' on the board.

"What about the tox screen?" Cameron asked.

"Clean." Chase answered.

"Test her for Fibromyalgia." House said just as Wilson stuck his head in the door and said sternly, "My office, now."

In Wilson's office: "Why do I have to come over there?" House whined.

"Because I said so." Wilson said and closed the door, heading to his own office.

House smiled and told the doctors, "He is _so_ demanding. But I like that." He then headed for his own office and sat down behind the desk.

He pulled out his trusty Vicodin and popped a couple as he placed his feet up on his desk. And waited. One minute goes by. Two minutes go by.

Three minutes go by and Wilson opens House's office door. "Uh, I said my office."

"I know. I'm running a test. 'Let's see how long Wilson catches on that I get what I want' game. It's fun."

Wilson sighed and sat down across from House. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a bottle of pills and placed it on the desk.

"Oh, I have my own, thanks." House snickered.

"These aren't for you. They're Alyssa's. I found them in her bag." Wilson told him.

House reached for the bottle. "Steroids? What's she taking them for?"

"I don't know. You're her doctor. Did she say anything to you about them?" Wilson asked.

House shook his head then stood up and walked out, heading to Allysa's room.

House limped into her room and found Alyssa sleeping. He sat down in the chair by the window and started singing 'It's Not Unusual'.

After a few minutes Alyssa said quietly, "My aunt _loved_ Tom Jones. She has a pair of his underwear, even."

House stood up and approached her bed, holding up the bottle of pills. "Mind explaining these to me and why you didn't tell me you were taking them and _why_ are you talking them?"

Alyssa looked at him, surprised he found them.

"They fell out of your bag." House lied. "Start explaining."

She turned her head away from him. "I started taking them a year ago. I wanted to be in top shape for soccer. Then recently I started feeling like crap."

He nodded his head and tried to think of something else to ask her but he was too annoyed at her lying to him, especially after meeting on the roof top the night before. He simply walked out and headed back to the conference room.

"Rog, Chase, I want you two to do some snooping for me." House said as he poured his third cup of coffee for the day.

"Dr. House, I can't do that." Rog told him.

"Oh, Cuddy must have missed that on your job description. You will now." House told him.

"No, sir. I will not." Rog said.

House stared him down, not breaking eye contact for as long as he could, and Rog kept right up with him. The three muskateers sat back and watched; they were highly entertained.

House eventually sighed. "Fine. But you get three of my clinic hours."

"Sir, I told you, I don't do appointments."

"Then why are you here?" House asked him point blank.

"Uh, because Maw...Cuddy said working under you would be an excellent opportunity."

"She lied. Foreman, you have no problem with that, since, you know..." House said as Foreman shook his head. "And Dr. Cameron, why don't you play doctor with Rog and show him the ropes downstairs."

"Because I don't owe you any hours." She simply said.

"You all are getting _way_ too spoiled." House hissed and headed for his office.

An hour later, Chase and Foreman walked up to the house listed on Alyssa's admit papers and not knocked first, just for their normal procedure. They were just about to check the door to see if it was locked when they were startled by it opening; they weren't expecting anyone to answer, especially at 11 am.

"Yes, may I help you?" A woman of about 50 stood at the door when three cats ran out of the house into the yard. From where the two were standing they could see two other cats sitting on the stairs, as if they were greeting the visitors as well.

"I'm Robert and this is Eric. Are you Alyssa's mother?" Chase asked.

She nodded her head then said, "What did that girl do now? And where did she get busted?"

Chase was taken aback by her comments and Foreman said, "No, no, we're doctors. Alyssa is at PPTH..."

"Oh, is that all?" She said flippantly. "What do you want me for, then?"

"Mrs. Adams, we're trying to help your daughter and were hoping we could maybe..." Chase started to say.

She opened the door and told them to come in, check out her bedroom if they wanted to and asked if they wanted anything to drink, which they declined.

As Chase and Foreman were climbing the stairs they heard glass breaking in the living room and Mrs. Adams cursed, fussing at the cats for spilling her whiskey. The two just looked at each other.

A short time later Chase and Foreman walked back into the conference room.

"Well, find anything?" House asked.

"Nothing." Chase said as he sat down. "But her mother is a trip."

"Found nothing in her room at all, just your normal 16 year old girlie stuff." Foreman said.

"I've been thinking." Rog said. "16 year old taking steroids, ok, that would explain some of the depression, but if there were an underlying cause...what other symptoms are there with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?"

"No, no. The mixture of anti-depressants and the steroid would make her have the weakness." House corrected.

Cameron walked into the room looking disappointed. "Aw, why you wook so saad?" House teased as she sat down.

"Negative on the Fibromyalgia." She said. "But I did just spot a lesion with gadolinium on her back. Combine that with the steroid and hyperintense lesion on T2, and I'd guess an abscess in a muscle somewhere."

House looked up at Cameron like he'd just discovered the cure for the common cold. "That's it. Give her Avelox, 40 mg every three hours and Myaxilin 10 mg and see how she does."

Cameron and Chase stood up to go when House stopped them. "Cameron, take Rog." They turned around and stared at him, not knowing why he'd made that decision.

"Since you two are looking at me like that I'd say you want to know why. Because Rog is bored." He simply said and smiled wickedly.

Later that afternoon Tyler Goodman had been released, but Alyssa had digressed into critical condition. Her mild fever had subsided but she was complaining of a headache, dizziness and nausea, as well as having two seizures; the rash had spread, the numbness and tingling sensations she'd had had also gotten worse.

House sat in his office watching General Hospital, but his mind was on Alyssa until his attention went to a commercial for Purina Kitten Chow. He looked into the conference room and saw Chase and Foreman doing their normal afternoon duties, reading and crosswords. There had to be something abnormal, something in the house, maybe?

He grabbed his cane and limped into the room. "Chase, Foreman, did you notice anything unusual at Alyssa's house?"

"No, we told you." Chase snapped.

"I think you need some more coffee. What about family pets?" House asked.

Chase and Foreman looked at one another then Foreman's face lit up. "Yeah, they must have had five or six cats."

"Were they wearing collars? Flea collars?" House asked.

Foreman said he was pretty sure they did. "Pestiside poisoning?"

Rog threw in, "Are you thinking cyano-pyrethroids toxicity?"

"No, that only affects cats." Chase added.

"Right, but there have been some cases reported where adverse reactions affected humans. Get some more blood and check the triameniames level." House said.

A few weeks later, on his way home in the middle of March he walked up to Wilson and Sarah's house to pick up C.T. He knocked a few times but there was no answer, nor could he hear Charlie's feet scurrying to the door or C.T. making any noise whatsoever. He stood there becoming increasingly put out then tried to open the door but it was locked.

He thought to take a peak in the living room window, and when he stepped between the two shrubs and looked in, his mouth dropped and he immediately felt sick to his stomach. There, in the middle of the living room rug was Sarah, passed out on her stomach with Charlie and C.T. sitting next to her. House banged on the glass and Charlie looked up at him and could tell he'd been crying, while C.T. was rather calm. House pointed to the front door and Charlie went running to unlock it for him.

"Uncle Gweg!" He screamed. "She jus' fell.." Charlie said as House rushed to Sarah's side.

When C.T. saw her dad she smiled and giggled. "Hi, little girl. What do we have here?" He said trying to sound calm so not to upset her. After he knelt down beside Sarah he looked at the side of her face, which was very pale. He checked her eyes, which were dilated and felt her pulse, which was a little too fast. He reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone, calling 911.

When he hung up he asked Charlie, "Do you know when she fell?"

"Righ' aftah she got C.T. up from nap."

"No, do you know what time it was?" He corrected.

Charlie looked up at him and with is best 'adult' voice said, "Quawta past 3...Daddy tawt me to tell time." He said proudly.

"Ok. Good job, buddy." House told him, and dialed Wilson's number at work.

"Wilson, Sarah's coming in...I've got the..."

"What happened?" Wilson asked, sounding alarmed.

"Don't know yet. Charlie said she passed out at 3:15, it's 4:45 now..."

"No, Uncle Gweg! It was 3:25! I said it was quarter pas' three!" Charlie corrected. House looked at him dumfounded then realized he was associating the quarter past three as 25 cents and couldn't help but smile at Charlie.

"Where's Sarah's mom's number?" House asked.

"You can't watch the kids while they bring..." Wilson started to say.

"Oh for pete's sake, Jim! I'm a doctor, not a babysitter." House said in his best Star Trek Dr. McCoy voice but Wilson didn't laugh.

"Fine, fine, I'll call Laura. You're a big help." Wilson said and slammed down the phone.

He looked at Charlie who looked scared but pretended not to act scared "She'll be fine..." He said to reassure him.

Sarah's eyes fluttered and finally opened. "Don't move, Sarah. Ambulance is on its way." House told her. "The kids are fine."

"Wha..." She groaned, closed her eyes and passed out again.

He thought of Cameron, who might be able to come over and watch Charlie and dialed her cell phone.

"Hey, wanna date?" He asked when she picked up her phone.

"House? I think Chase'll be a little jealous."

"I was joking. But what are you doing tonight?" He asked her.

"But if you were joking what are you asking me out..."

"Cameron, I need someone to watch Charlie."

She answered, "Darnit! I owe Wilson $5." House frowned and asked her why. "Because Wilson said you would call me to babysit and I told him you wouldn't." She said then hung up the phone. He pulled the phone away from his ear and gave it a dirty look, as if it were Cameron standing right in front of him.

"Mommy gonna be okay?" Charlie asked as C.T. started to lightly punch him in the leg to get his attention because she wanted to play. House grabbed C.T. away from him and held her in his lap. He figured he was parked on the floor beside Sarah until the paramedics came.

When they did arrive, House took C.T. and Charlie into the kitchen while the paramedics checked her out. One of them came in and told him they were ready to take her to Princeton General but he told him he wanted her to go to PPTH.

"But that's 30 minutes farther." He objected.

"Is she in cardiac arrest?" House asked snottily.

"No, but..."

"Then take her to PPTH." He said just as his cell phone rang.

"I forgot Laura, Sarah's mom, is out of town for a week. Looks like you're on your own for the night. You owe me one, remember?" Wilson said.

House scrunched his face in protest. "Uh, no, not really. What am I supposed to do?"

"Have Charlie pick out some pj's, make sure he brings his fave pillow and GI Joe and take him to your place."

House inhaled deeply and let out a long, deep sigh. "Fine. But I'm not gonna like it."

"No, maybe not, but you'll have to get used to it." Wilson said curtly. "Thanks." Wilson hung up.

An hour later, House let Charlie and C.T. in the front door of 221B Somerset Street and closed it behind him. He could hear Wayni scratching at the bathroom door, as she always did whenever her 'daddy' came home.

"Can I see Wayni, please?" Charlie asked excitedly as House placed C.T. in her playpen in the living room.

"Sure, hold on. She'll need her walk." House said irritably.

During that the same time, Wilson had been in the emergency room working on Sarah with Dr. Slater, the same doctor that treated him the year before when he got in the car accident. Her stats were stable, but the blood work had come back indicating her cervical cancer had come back.

"Damnit." Wilson cursed, staring down at Sarah, who still hadn't regained consciousness. Shortly thereafter Sarah was admitted into the hospital and in a room. Wilson sat by her bed watching her sleep and called House at his home number, not his cell.

"Hewo, Daddy!" Charlie answered excitedly because House recognized the number as Wilson's and let Charlie answer the phone. Not to be nice, but rather so he could clean up the little present Wayni left in the bathroom.

"Has Uncle Greg been behaving himself?" Wilson asked teasingly because it was the first time House had both Charlie and C.T.

"Yeah! We took Wayni for her walk and just got back. We're gonna have macawoni and these!"

"Good. You like that. Can I talk to How...Uncle Greg?"

"UNCLE GWEG!"

House got the phone from Charlie, who ran to C.T. and said, "When are ya' pick up your kid?"

"I was thinking next week, when Laura gets back." House remained silent. "They're doing a colyposcopy in the morning...oh, her cervical cancer is back. I can run home to shower but then...I really need you to watch him for me tomorrow. Can you do that for me?" Wilson asked hopefully.

"I owe Cuddy six hours of clinic duty tomorrow and..." House started to say.

"Liar. Cuddy said you can take off tomorrow."

As quick as House could think he said, "I'll talk to Cuddy."

"Do that. But I still need you to watch him."

House looked up at the ceiling and said, "Fine. But you owe me big time."

"Oh, I thought our friendship didn't consist of favor returns...hey, I gotta go. Sarah is coming around. Thanks." Wilson said then hung up.

After House hung up with Wilson he looked at C.T. and Charlie, who were sitting on the floor playing with Wayni. For a split second he felt a 'pang' in his stomach, but a good 'pang.' It was as if he was in someone else's life, not his carefree, bachelor's life he'd led the past 25-some years. That was the first time it dawned on him that indeed his life had changed. But he was okay with that.

"Okay, you guys ready for dinner?" House asked after he looked at his clock and was surprised it was almost 7:30. "You three be good and I'll let you know when dinner is ready."

"Okay, Uncle Gweg. Tell me if I can help." Charlie said hopefully.

At first he was hesitant to leave the kids in the living room by themselves but realized as soon as he walked into the kitchen that he did have a clear view of the kids. But, of course, he popped a couple of his Vicodin because with cooking for C.T. he was on his feet more than normal and discovered he needed the 'help.'

After the three had eaten, he cleaned C.T. of the cheese she'd succeeded in splattering all over her face and fingers and elbows and toes. When House set her down Charlie held her up by her arms and walked her into the living room. House couldn't help but smile at the two.

'_This isn't as bad as I thought it would be.'_ He thought to himself. He put in the DVD of El Dorado, which was the latest movie Charlie was addicted to, and turned it on. Charlie jumped up on the couch and after House sat down C.T. crawled up his good leg and sat in his lap.

'_Hmm, it's quiet; the kids have eaten and have been really good. I wonder if I can get used to this.'_ He thought to himself but instantly berated himself because he knew every time he thought that something bad always happened.

'_Cuddy will probably give me the hemorrhoid patient and an elderly lady with an STD…oh, wait. Been there, done that, gave them to Cuddy.'_ House laughed to himself.

Before he knew it the movie was over and Charlie was asleep on the couch, still in his day clothes and C.T. asleep next to House with Wayni curled up at his feet. He took a deep breath, prepared himself for getting up without waking C.T. and slowly stood up. He was proud of himself that he hadn't woken her, even though he almost stumbled when he first took a step.

After he placed C.T. in her crib he walked back into the living room with a blanket to cover Charlie up, which he did. He sat in the recliner next to the sofa, and spent the next hour going over a lot of things in his head. The outcome of the hour's thinking didn't get him anywhere, though.

He'd think of his parents then Sarah then his father then Melissa then counseling with his parents then LizBeth. It was one vicious cycle he had his brain cells busy with stuff he couldn't change which made him feel sorry for himself. That was a skill he had come to cherish: feeling sorry for himself.

'_Maybe I will see Dr. Parker, not that I want to. She never lets me get away with anything.' _Was the last thought that crossed his mind before he fell into a peaceful sleep.

The next thing House knew was feeling several light tugs on his left leg pant, with each tug came a giggle and a few whispered 'Uncle Gwegs'. He pretended to be asleep just to see how far he could get away with it. After the 13th 'Uncle Gweg', with his eyelids still closed he rolled his eyes just right so he could slowly open them until he saw Charlie's face.

He fought to keep from smiling and said in a voice as gravely as he could, "Who's that knocking on my front door?" There was silence so he opened his other eye slowly.

"Dare's no one at da door. Isss me." Charlie said. House could no longer control his laughter and sat up, rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.

"Where's C.T.?" House asked playfully, knowing full well where she was.

"She nawt in her bed." Charlie answered confused.

House became instantly awake, grabbed his cane and rushed to her room, looking in the crib.

Charlie was right. C.T. was not in her bed where he left her last night. He checked the closet, the hamper, anything small enough a 10 month old could hide in. He ran back into the living room, checked the other bedroom and bathroom. He was in such a desperate panic he even checked the front door, which was still locked.

"Okay, Charlie, this isn't funny. Where is C.T.?" House demanded, scaring Charlie a little and he was afraid to answer. He leaned against the door and banged the back of his head against it, like it would jar the location of C.T.

House calmly walked back into the living room, patting Charlie on the top of his head, telling him they'd find her. He sat down heavily on the couch and reached for the phone, dialing 911.

'_Twice in one day. I've called 911 twice in less than 12 hours.'_ He thought to himself, the nausea he felt when Charlie first told him got worse. He used all his strength not to throw up. He looked at his watch. It read 7:45am. He looked at Charlie, then at C.T.'s bedroom door and felt it come up. He ran to the bathroom and just made the toilet. He heaved a few times, and as he flushed the toilet Charlie handed him a hand towel.

"Thanks, buddy." He said and wiped his mouth.

House put his hand on Charlie's back and led him back to the living room, and the two waited for the cops to come find his daughter.


	17. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

The cops had been in House's apt. for a little over an hour, asking him a lot of questions and trying his best to answer them. Charlie was really behaving himself, sitting on the couch, watching and listening to the detectives. A detective walked out of C.T.'s bedroom with a look of concern on his face and a shard of glass in his hand.

"Dr. House, it appears someone broke into the room through the window."

"Oh, really? Did you come to that conclusion from the broken glass or did they leave a note?" House asked sarcastically.

The detective gave him a dirty look. "Seems there's another piece on the floor with some blood on it. They'll take it to the lab and..."

The detective was interrupted by a commotion outside. House looked out the window and saw Wilson, face to face with a cop, demanding to be let in because his son was inside.

House looked at the detective holding the glass and said, "You can let the Boy Wonder in."

The detective hollered to let Wilson in, and Charlie met him at the door. "Daddy! C.T.'s gawn!" He cried.

Wilson picked him up then looked at House. Wilson had seen him drunk, high on his meds, hit rock bottom, be so angry he broke his bathroom mirror with his hand, heartbroken over Stacy (more than once), conniving, depressed, but never, in the years they'd been friends, had he ever seen House look as bad as he did then. And the words, words that would make House feel better, didn't come.

"Dude, how about I get you some milk and crackers and then I'll take you to lunch and tell you how much your Mommy misses you." Wilson asked as he set him down.

"I'm afraid no one has checked for finger prints in there yet. You'll have to stay in here."

"He hasn't eaten this morning, Officer Starve the Child aka Officer STC. Is it that big of a deal?" House shot off, without an ounce of regret.

Officer Potbelly, the head honcho, nodded his head to indicate he could take Charlie in the kitchen and the two headed off for a few minutes, while House sat in the living room silent. When Wilson came back he stood near House.

"Sir, do you know of anyone that Dr. House hasn't thought of that might have wanted to take the baby?" Officer STC asked.

"Yeah." Wilson started to say and looked down at House, talking to him directly. "House, nurse Carmen didn't show up for her shift and there was a big stink because they're short on nurses...anyway, I got a call from her this morning at our house. She left a message...Carmen Sanchez, that's her name...she said she'd do anything to get me back, even if it meant taking everyone I loved away from me...Oh, my god...Sarah's in the hospital. She could get to her..."

Officer Potbelly was already on the phone ordering a guard to be outside Sarah's room, and to get the address of that nurse.

"The only other person I can think of is her godmother, but you know-it-alls said she was on a flight to San Diego. Besides, what's the motive of her taking C.T. anyway? Wait, she wanted C.T. but backed off." House mumbled. "But if it was Sanchez why didn't she take Charlie? C.T. had nothing to do with you."

"Dr. House, you said you'd fallen asleep in the chair..." Officer STC started to say.

"Well, I guess there is no Alzheimer's in your family." House snickered.

"House, knock it off. They're trying to find her..." Wilson started to say but Officer Potbelly interrupted.

"Didn't you say you and Charlie fell asleep in here? Maybe she grabbed C.T. because she was the only one she could get to. I doubt very seriously she would have been able to grab Charlie without him waking up House." Officer STC finished.

They stayed there another hour and had a tap put on his phone in case anyone called that would cause suspicion. Wilson and Charlie left.

In the early afternoon, House sat in his apartment alone and worried to death, looking at his cell phone every three minutes to make sure it was still on in case the cops were trying to call him.

He popped a couple of Vicodin in his mouth, stood up and walked into C.T.'s room. He loved being in her room: the smell of the baby powder, the stuffed animals in the corner, her blanket she'd just got used to sleeping with. He picked it up off the floor and brought it to his nose, inhaling deeply with his eyes closed.

He had cried too much the past few months, and he didn't want to cry anymore. But he felt the tears coming but didn't give a crap. He fell to the floor hugging the blanket. He had fought so hard to get C.T., and now that he had her she was gone. For the first time in his life, Dr. Gregory House prayed, and prayed hard, to get his daughter back. That day, he made a deal to give up his meds, do therapy, even pain management if he could hold his little girl in his arms again.

During the same time, two men knocked on a front door on Trestle Lane, just 30 minutes outside Princeton. At first there was no answer but on the second knock they could hear footsteps and see a shadow approach the door.

"Who is it?" Came a woman's voice.

"Detectives Ketchum and McDonough with the Sussex County Police dept." The shorter man answered.

She unlocked the door and slowly opened it.

"Ms. Carmen Sanchez? The taller man asked. She nodded her head. "May we come in, please?"

"It's not a good time." She said as she looked at the stairs behind her.

"It's very important we talk to you."

"I have to leave soon."

"Look, we can do things your way or our way. And trust me, you wouldn't like our way."

"You got a warrant?" She asked belligerently.

The shorter detective looked at the taller one who didn't miss a beat and said, "We don't need a warrant to talk to you. But, if you want it your way, we can get one in 10 minutes."

"Fine, you do that." She snapped and slammed the door in their faces.

"Ralph, you cover the back door – make sure she doesn't leave. I'll stay out here and call Judge Leavers." The taller man said.

With the door closed behind her she looked up the stairs that led to the room where the baby was sleeping. She calmly and slowly walked up the steps just in case the two men were watching from one of the windows. She entered the second room on the left and made sure the baby was still asleep on her bed. She finished putting the baby's clothes in the suitcase with hers, closed and locked it.

She stood looking at the baby on the bed and couldn't believe it had finally happened. Now that she had the baby they could be together, a couple, a family, just like she'd always wanted. They'd make a new life in San Diego. They'd be happy.

She carried the suitcase down the stairs to the front door then back up to the bedroom to get the baby. Surprisingly she was not nervous, as she thought she would be. She had just picked up the sleeping baby when a knock came on the door. All of a sudden the nerves kicked in.

She went down the stairs, placed the baby in her playpen and went to the front door. Detectives Ketchum and McDonough were standing there with two additional officers, both in full uniform.

McDonough, the taller detective, handed her papers, three-folded and thick. She opened it, saw 'Search Warrant' and stepped aside so they could come in.

"Make it quick. I have a 4:45 flight to San…" She started to say.

"We really don't care." Ketchum said as he walked into the living room and saw the baby in the pen. He turned around, approached Carmen and said, "Ms. Sanchez, you are under arrest for breaking and entering and kidnapping." He said as he forced her arms behind her to place handcuffs on.

"What the hell?" She said as Ketchum pushed her down on the couch then he walked into the foyer.

He reached for his cell phone, dialed a few numbers then said, "We got her."

"So, Ms. Sanchez, why don't you tell us where you are going?" McDonough asked.

"You said you didn't care where I was going." She replied.

He sighed and said, "You just sit tight."

Thirty minutes later House entered Carmen's townhouse, limped straight to the playpen without saying a word to anyone. He leaned over it and was about to pick her up when he stopped himself and took a better look at her.

It wasn't Charnie. The baby was 9 months old but not his C.T. He sullenly turned around, told Ketchum and slowly walked out. McDonough shot Carmen a nasty look, not because she was innocent, but that the two detectives were caught in a BIG mistake.

She returned his stare and said triumphantly, "I just adopted Abby last week. I am flying to San Diego to meet Sheila, my girlfriend, so we can live in peace there. After her misfortune of not having custody of her god-daughter we decided to adopt. Neither one of us wants to be pregnant. Besides, God knows a couple of the same sex is soooo shame…"

After leaving nurse Carmen's apartment, House slammed the door to the corvette and tore out into the street. He had no clue where he was going to go but he wanted to be alone, but yet he didn't trust himself to be alone. He passed Arthur's Bar and Grill and figured it was as good a place as any to down a couple of drinks. When he walked in, there were only 5-6 patrons, which made him happy. There wouldn't be anybody to mess with him and he could drink in peace.

He sat at the farthest corner he could get and ordered a triple Scotch from the bartender. House took the glass and quickly brought it to his lips, downing half the Scotch in one swallow and placed the glass back on the counter. He looked in the mirror at his reflection and wasn't a bit surprised at how bad he looked. He looked like he'd been camping for a week, wearing the same clothes and taking no shower. But he didn't care. Not now. Not with his daughter missing.

House took another swallow from his glass after he ordered another from the bartender. He put his head in his hands, closed his

eyes and sighed, deeply and desperately.

"You look like you need another drink. Whatcha drinkin'?" A woman's voice came from beside him but he ignored it. "Give me what he's drinking and another iced tea…no long island, though. I'm trying to cut back." She told the bartender. After a moment the bartender placed the two drinks on the bar. She pushed the Scotch toward House then took her iced tea and stood there waiting for House to acknowledge her.

"Go away." He muttered in his hands, never opening his eyes or moving.

She stood there a moment, trying to think of something, anything to say to him. Her mind was blank so she walked back to her table and sat down, looking over the papers she was working on. But she couldn't concentrate; she found herself staring back at the man at the counter. _'Maybe it isn't him but I swore it was when he first walked in. Well, it's a small world, it could have been.'_ She thought to herself and went back to her paperwork.

A few minutes later a man walked into the bar, saw House and walked to him, took the seat next to him and ordered Tequila. He never said a word to House; he just drank in silence, but keeping House in the corner of his eye. House finally lifted his head, finished the second glass and ordered a third, all the while not speaking or looking at the man sitting next to him.

"What do you want, Wilson?" House asked gruffly as he felt the man's eyes burrow into his head. He took the drink from the bar and took a couple of small, long sips.

"I followed you from Carmen's, House. I wanted to be sure you were okay." Wilson answered then downed his Tequila shot.

"After six more of these then I'll be okay." He said, nodding his head to his glass. "No, wait, I'll be okay when they find the bstard that took Charnie." He snapped, starting to sound very angry.

Wilson didn't flinch at House's outburst, it was justifiable to him. Wilson watched a woman approach the two of them and averted catching her eye.

"I'm sorry to bother you…" She started to say.

"Look, I told you I don't need a hooker tonight. I got Wilson, here." House mumbled as he winked at him.

"Excuuuuxe me!" She said, seemingly shocked at his comment then started to laugh. "Your name IS House, right? That's what I heard him say. Greg House?"

He looked at her for the first time and at first there was no recognition. But after a moment his eyes flew open wide and said, "Kirsten?" She nodded her head with a smile. "Like I told you, I don't need a hooker tonight."

She gave him a disgusted look and turned to walk away but House called for her. She stopped and slowly turned to face him, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not having a good day." He simply said, but sincerely. Then he turned away from her and continued his drinking. Wilson looked at House then at Kirsten, who hadn't moved, then back at House. Kirsten shook her head then sat back down at her table.

"House, you can't think of anyone? Who would take C.T.? I don't get it." Wilson asked.

House shook his head. "We thought it was Carmen but, ah, she's playing for the other team now."

"I guess I made another woman go gay." Wilson said, trying to get a laugh or smile out of House.

Kirsten walked up to the bar, put money on the counter and turned to look at House. "You can't be Greg House because you are NOTHING like the one I knew. Hope your day gets better." She said sarcastically then walked away, just as Wilson's cell rang.

House stared at his glass before he turned around to face her as she gathered her papers from the table. "Kirsten, you caught me at a bad time."

"Oh, well, that's okay, honey, because I can always find myself another _john_ to meet my quota for the night." She snapped

jokingly and was just about to walk out when she felt a hand grab her elbow. "I got the hint, I'm leaving."

"No, no. You obviously know him, and he knows you, and I was wondering if you could make sure he gets home? My wife is in the hospital and I have to go." Wilson begged.

"After that nice little reunion we just had I…"

"Someone kidnapped his daughter. Please take him home. Here's my cell. Can you call me when you drop him off?"

She looked into Wilson's eyes and saw the genuine concern for his friend. "What! Are you serious? Fine, but I'm not going to like it." She said as she walked toward a smaller table and sat down.

"It's okay, neither is he." Wilson said with a smirk. "Thank you, Kirsten." And Wilson walked out.

Kirsten sat at the table staring at House's back, watching him down two more drinks. She could tell he had reached his limit because his arm was around the shoulders of another drunken man and they were laughing so hard it looked to her as if he was going to fall off the stool.

"Okay, boys. Party time is over." Kirsten said as she approached House.

"Oh, but honey, you're here, it just got started." The other man said.

House laughed heartily, obviously very fake, then went to put his hand on the man's shoulder but at the last minute pushed him off the stool.

"GREG!" Kirsten screamed as she reached for the man on the floor. The man was so drunk he was laughing hysterically on the floor and ignored Kirsten.

"Gentlemen, I think it's time you pay up and leave." The bartender said, calmly but firmly.

House slid off the stool but seemed to forget about his leg and almost ended up on the floor himself.

"What's wrong? Is your leg asleep?" She asked as she watched him grab his cane then dug into his pocket to pay for the tab.

Kirsten was quicker than House and she threw $20 on the counter then tried to help him walk out from his drunken stupor.

"I can doo it! Le' me do it!" House said in his best Stuart imitation he could muster.

She threw her hands up in the air, stepped aside and watched him take a few steps before he fell to the floor. His drinking buddy at the bar burst out laughing while he was still on the floor.

"Wow, I remember you carrying me and Liz to her bedroom in jr. high when we had that Schnapps at the football game. I just never imagined I'd had to be carrying you 25 years later." She said as she helped him up. "You have to stay sober long enough to get you home since, you know, I don't know where you live. I'll just drive with the windows down. It's what, 40 degrees out here?"

They walked to her car, she unlocked his side, opened the door and again, he didn't need any assistance from her, so she stood there for five minutes watching him try to get from the curb to the seat. Kirsten didn't say much as she drove him home, and neither did House, except for 'right' or 'left', whichever the case was. She remembered how serious he was at 16, and it seemed to get worse when her sister died. She hadn't seen him since Liz's funeral.

House and Kirsten pulled up in front of his apartment. She got out of the car, went to the passenger side, opened the door and stood there. She waited for him to get out on his own, since he didn't need her help getting in. But House just sat there, staring straight ahead.

"Greg, you can't sit out here all night." She told him.

Eventually he looked up at her and she could see his eyes were a little red, like he'd been holding back tears. He sighed and got

out, with no help from her.

"You gonna be okay by yourself?" She asked as she watched him fumble in his pocket for the door key.

He barely nodded his head, fit the key in the door and leaned against it, closing his eyes. He turned the handle before he realized what he was doing and crashed onto the foyer floor, and he just laid there. Kirsten didn't move, considering he told her he didn't need any help. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a figure in the living room window move toward him.

Kirsten took a few steps toward the door and saw Cameron kneel beside him asking if he was okay. Chase followed and stood behind her shaking his head at seeing his boss as drunk as he was. House rolled onto his back and tried to sit up but needed Cameron to help him.

Cameron gave Kirsten a dirty look, thinking she was a hooker he had drive him home. "We've got him. You can leave now." She said snottily.

Kirsten looked at her and was about to chew her out, but all she knew was House's daughter was taken from him and he was drunk. Cameron and Chase seemed to be able to take care of him so she turned around to walk back to her car.

As Chase took House by his arm and he stood, first swaying, he muttered to Kirsten, "…don' halfta go."

"Yes, she does. You need to get to bed." Cameron said.

"Kirsten…" House said louder the second time just as she reached her car.

She turned around and looked at him blankly. "I'll catch up with you later. You need to sober up." She got in her car and drove off.

Cameron then closed the front door and Chase led him to his bedroom while she made a fresh pot of coffee. Chase walked out a minute later.

"He's out already but I could go for some coffee." He said as he walked toward her. "When can we leave?" He asked as he took the coffee mug and walked into the living room with her behind him.

"Let's wait an hour or so, just to make sure." She said as she sat down.

"I've never seen him that drunk before." He said as he walked to Steve McQueen's cage and dropped in some food and changed his water bottle.

"I have. He was at work, getting drunk with a patient. That death row guy, you remember him?" She asked as he sat down beside her.

He nodded his head as he glanced over House's DVD collection. "Hey, he's got Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!" He said excitedly. "I haven't seen that movie since I was like, ten." He stood up and put the movie in the player.

"I don't believe you! You are such a kid." She teased him.

"Oh, wait, I have to call Foreman. He didn't think I could get into House's apartment and now he owes me $20." He said proudly as he dialed his number.

Over at Foreman's apartment, he and Nancy were on their way out the door when the phone rang. Nancy answered then handed it to him.

"Hey. What's going on over there?" Foreman asked without saying hello.

"Yeah, he did come home drunk and with a hooker but Cameron sent her away. He's sleeping now." Chase told him.

"Good." Foreman said. Nancy whispered they were going to be late for their dinner reservations with her parents. "We're on

our way to dinner with her parents. Can I pull a House and we can do an ultrasound or something for the next three hours?" He said as he laughed, with Nancy hitting his arm playfully.

"No, you can't. And I hope you're going to McDonald's because you owe me $20." Chase told him laughing then hung up and she nestled under his arm as the movie started.

Almost an hour later House slowly and groggily limped out of his bedroom and headed to the kitchen, oblivious of the two still sitting on the couch watching him. He stood in front of the coffeemaker and seemed surprised there was already an almost full pot. He shrugged his shoulders, reached for a cup then poured it. He sipped some before he turned around to walk to the living room.

As the two continued to watch him, he looked more and more confused then looked directly at the t.v., staring at it like he was hallucinating. The scene showed Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious at the evil Baron Bomburst's castle looking for the two children, Jeremy and Jemima.

"Oh, don't worry, House. The children are found." Cameron said, meaning to be funny, but when she realized exactly what she said she quickly blushed and apologized profusely.

There was a twinge of hurt in his eyes but that quickly vanished. "How'd you two get in here?" He asked, not remembering they were already in the apartment when he got home from the bar.

"You taught me how to break into a house, House." Chase answered. "Foreman owes me $20…"

"Has anyone called?" House asked hopefully.

Cameron shook her head and sadly said, "I'm sorry, no."

House started to walk toward his bedroom when he suddenly stopped and turned back around. "Did you two bring me home?"

"No, your hooker did." Cameron said sarcastically, not jealously.

"Wha…oh, Kirsten. You two can leave now. The movie is over…lock the door behind you." He said as he headed for his bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Of course they didn't leave until after the movie was over because Chase whined about needing to see the whole movie. It was around 10pm when they did leave.

House hadn't gone back to sleep but just sat up in bed, propped on pillows and staring at a picture of Charnie. She was just two months old and Stacy was holding her. He tried not to get too emotional when the phone distracted him from the picture. At first he ignored it but then thought maybe it was a detective knowing something about his daughter but it stopped ringing right after the second ring. A moment later his cell phone rang but he didn't look at the call box.

"How…Greg. It's Cuddy. I think I know who took Charnie."

Cuddy started explaining to House how she came to assume who took C.T….

FLASHBACK to the year before when they stayed a few days at Cuddy's cabin in upstate NY

Melissa stood up slowly, calmly, and walked to her, eyeing Thomas the whole time. Wilson tried to grabbed her hand as she walked by but she pushed his hand away. She bent over Cuddy and reached behind her neck. Pulling out her hand she saw the blood on her fingers.

"You son of a bi..." House started to say. This time, he aimed the gun at Melissa's leg two feet from him and shot her. She rolled over crying in pain.

"Next time, it's you, cripple!" Thomas said…….

….. Thirty minutes later…the rest of the gang in the van, being driven by A.J. Cuddy's brother then followed by the squad car

that carried Thomas and Michelle, then two extra squad cars……..

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

"I got a call from Sgt. Keys at Riker's Prison and he told me something. Thomas, remember, my ex? He was released last week. Do you believe it? The guy almost kills Melissa and he gets out a year later on good behavior?" She exclaimed. House was silent for too long so Cuddy asked if he was still there.

He grumbled something just to let her know he was then asked, "Why did he call you?"

"Because he said Thomas had repeatedly discussed our relation, his and mine, and it struck the Sgt. that he might be a problem when he got out. He already called NJ State Hdqtrs to inform them of his release. He's sending a squad car over to watch your place tonight, or as long as it take for them to find Thomas and question him."

Again, there was silence on House's end. "Do you need anything?" She finally asked.

He mumbled "nu-uh" and hung up. He was not in the mood to talk to anyone, unless they told him they had his daughter and was bringing her home.

Wayni has grown to weigh about 35 pounds and reached House's waist when he put his paws on his leg for a doggie treat. C.T. has always played Wayni against she and her father; like, after she was called whoever she came to first was the one she loved the most. Of course, neither one of them bought it but would always end up laughing, especially if Wayni heads straight for the door after C.T. asks the question.

"Daddy, how does this look?" C.T. asks as she walks out of her bedroom wearing a baby and navy blue dress with white sash on her waist and her hair pinned up with wisps of hair in the back.

It is C.T.'s first dance and at 12 she looks so much older than her age, and she acts it, too. When he first looks at her he thinks she so resembles Stacy, but on further examination of 'was the dress to short…too low cut…etc', he thinks he sees more of his sister's features in his daughter.

After a moment he says with a smile, "Beautiful."

He steps toward her and gives her a warm, loving hug. "But I want Christian to come in when he gets here and I want to meet his parents and I want you home at 10 and don't forget your cell in case…"

"Oh, please, Dad! I'm not a kid anymore!" She says very dramatically and obviously on purpose. She had joined the drama group at the start of the school year and has already done two plays with rave reviews.

"You are to me, and you always will be!" He says with a smile as the doorbell rings.

"That's him!" C.T. says nervously as she checks her hairdo and runs to the mirror to check her makeup. House stands there watching her.

The doorbell rang again. "Daddy, would you GET that! I want him to see me walk in!" She says as she runs into the kitchen so she can make an elegant entrance.

He walks to the door and opens it, giving Christian a stern, fatherly 'don't mess with my daughter' expression.

The door bell rings again.

And again…..

House got jerked awake from his dream when the doorbell sounded. He grunted, stood up and headed for the door. He looked through the peephole and sighed then took another look. He opened the door and stared at the woman, dressed in jeans and a thick sweater with no jacket. She was the same woman at the bar that was bugging him.

"Hello, Mr. House. I'm Kirsten Dacosta. I'll be on duty tonight til tomorrow morning at 9am. Use this walkie talkie if you need

to, and I highly suggest you use it." She said with a half smile on her face but authoritatively. "And we've got the phone bugged, so if you make any '900' calls, be prepared to be teased.

"That's Dr. House to you." He said then cracked a smile.

"I know, but that just doesn't sound right to me." She answered.

They stood at the entrance of the door and stared at each other. His eyebrows rose as if he were waiting for her to dismiss herself.

"Well, I'll be in that mustang right there." She said then pointed to a black mustang parked up the street.

"Thanks, Kirsten."

"That's Captain Dacosta to you." She said with a smile.

"I know, but that just doesn't sound right." He answered then closed the door.

In room 316 at the Buchannon Hotel, the man had just picked up the phone, dialed a few numbers and waited for the person to answer.

"How the hell do you change a diaper? This 'thing' won't stop pee'ing. And what am I supposed to feed her? She won't stop…"

There was laughter from a woman on the other end. Hey, you got what you wanted. Now you have to deal with it." She said then hung up.

He cursed at the phone, placed it in the receiver and looked at the baby. She had finally fallen asleep and he couldn't have been happier. He knew she hadn't eaten since the night before, before he took her, not that he cared what really happened to her. He wasn't through, he hadn't even gotten started.

'_You're gonna pay, House. And if your little brat goes down with you then more power to me.'_ He thought to himself as he walked to the small table by the window, grabbed a spoon and lighter and got his next crack hit ready.

The following morning was Saturday so the gang had the weekend off. There weren't any medical mysteries to solve, the meaning of life to be found or the location of the foundation of youth.

FOREMAN and Nancy were awake that morning with the sun peering through the window onto the end of the bed:

"Hey, Pookie, guess what? I heard through the grapevine there's a conference in Atlantic City middle of April. They said we could bring our significant others." He said from the bathroom as he was just about to brush his teeth.

"Oh, is that what they call girlfriends? 'Significant other?' I'll have to write that in my 1000 Words of Slang for the 21st Century." She said with a laugh as she sat up in bed and pulled the covers up over her.

"Yeah, but you're my 'special' significant other. Anyway, I haven't been to A.C. before. I heard it's nothing like Vegas, but still. You been there before?" He asked as he walked back to the bed and snuck under the covers, trying to pull the covers down from over her but she got a tighter grip of it.

She nodded her head and asked, "What are the dates?"

"I'm not sure. Middle of the month, I think." He answered as he slid his hand under the covers.

Nancy slid under the sheet and wrapped her arm over his chest. "You know, I'm gonna have to check but I know I'm going to Nicole's sometime in April. Can you give your word you'll stay away from Night Shift?"

"What's that? Gentleman's Club or the hooker district? And if it is, what's the address?" He said seriously.

She smacked his chest fairly hard, he groaned but then laughed. "I'm joking. Woman, that _hurt_!"

"You need to quit working with that man House! You're starting to sound just like him." She said as she ran her fingers through his chest hair.

"But, you've created a monster! It's not _my_ fault!" He protested as he rolled over and cradled next to her warm body.

"Oh, yes it is…." She started to say before he planted a kiss on her lips…

CHASE and CAMERON sat at the kitchen table eating bagels and reading the paper, looking for movies for later that afternoon:

"Hun, would you be too upset if I go see how House is doing?" Cameron asked him as she spread more strawberry cream cheese on her bagel. He was about to put a bite of bagel in his mouth when he stopped and looked at Cameron rather perturbed.

His face relaxed and he said, "Sure. That's fine."

"I'm gonna call Wilson and see if he wants me to watch Charlie so he can spend the day with Sarah in the hospital and not have to worry about him. Maybe spend the weekend. Is that ok?" She asked and Chase nodded his head, but very slowly.

She continued, "The cervical cancer she was treated for awhile back has returned. It's spread to her uterus. She's having a partial hysterectomy this afternoon, and they'll take her ovaries, too. Then she'll have radiation and chemo and then…" Cameron said but Chase interrupted her.

"Oh, is Cameron the Martyr coming to the rescue again? Or is your biological clock ticking too loud for you?" Chase snapped as he stood up and slammed the small plate on the counter harder than he'd anticipated. It broke into several pieces and glass fell to the floor and splattered on the counter.

"Damnit, Chase! Why did you do that? If you have a problem with it I won't watch Charlie." She said as she stood up and grabbed the shards of glass from the counter then the floor.

"No, it's not that at all." He said as he bent over to help.

"Robert, I've got it! You've done enough."

He stood up, leaned against the counter and watched her. When she put the broken glass in the trash can she turned to confront him. "If it's not Charlie then it must be House. Robert, don't do this. I'm not rushing to his side to jump his bones for god's sake."

"That's not it, either." He protested.

"Then what is your problem?" She demanded as she put her hands on her hips and waited.

"It's just...well…there was something I was gonna do." He said.

"Go on, then! I will _not_ stop you." She spat.

"Allie, please. Don't make me say it." Chase begged as he approached her.

She smacked his hand away when he reached out for her then she ran to the living room. Chase called out after her and finally caught her at the door. He grabbed her shoulder and forcibly turned her around. She lost her footing and fell against the door but not hard; she wasn't hurt by any means.

"What a…"

"Shut up, Allison, and let me talk!" He ordered. Her mouth snapped shut and she looked at him with eyes that could have bore through 5" thick concrete.

"Don't you know what today is?" He asked, holding her back against the door by her shoulders.

She looked at him and he could tell she hadn't a clue.

"When did you start working at PPTH?" He asked.

"I don't know…end of 2003. So what!"

"Girl! What day was it?" He asked as he let go of her shoulders because he knew she'd remember as soon as she actually thought about it.

Her face showed no emotion at first but when she did remember her eyes flew open and she immediately relaxed.

"Exactly! It's our 3 year anniversary and I was going to take you out to some place special and make it a surprise but now…"

She squealed, jumped up and down in place and threw her arms around his neck. "Robert, Rob…I am sooo sorry! Really! I'd forgotten it with all that's going on." She said then she started playfully kissing his neck. "Pwease forgive me…pwease."

He was quiet for a moment but he relented and said, "Oh, I guess so. I don't want to but, you know, you are just so damn sexy and…"

He was shut up when she placed her lips against his, turned him around in one swift motion and pushed him against the door. They slowly started undressing each other until she grabbed his briefs from the floor and ran into the bedroom.

"Come and get them, Babycakes!" She teased as she rocked her hips and ran out of his view. He quickly followed her and they went back to the bedroom and made love.

ROG was awoken that Saturday morning by the noise of the neighbor's saw cutting down tree limbs that had come down from the winter's wrath. And he heard Chester, his Cockatiel, squawking from the living room. He rolled over and looked at the clock. It read 7:45. He groaned, grabbed his pillow and rolled over, shielding his eyes from the bright sunshine that was casting on his face.

It was a restless night for him, again. He still hadn't figured out what type of relationship he wanted with his mother; even his two hour talk with his aunt didn't help. All he could do was hope for the best, whatever the best was going to be. He thought of Rebecca, his girl-friend down in D.C. and wondered if it would be a good thing for him to move back down there. But he wasn't sure if he should just head down there. Not until he could 'fix' things with his mom, if there was anything to be fixed, he sure didn't know what it was.

CUDDY was seated at her desk in her office at PPTH by 8:15 because of the upcoming conference in Atlantic City. She had multiple forms to fill out to be submitted by Monday and she hadn't finished them yet. She also looked over a few files, well, one, really. Roger Phillip Nelson, her son.

She had hoped things between them would be better by now but they weren't. Rog still appeared distant to her and had yet to call her Mom. But that wasn't as big of a deal as the situation with House. She thought about going over the night before but felt better knowing Chase and Cameron were there.

Then her thoughts turned to Wilson and his worries over Sarah…

WILSON had fallen asleep in the chair next to Sarah's bed after they'd talked before she'd fallen asleep the night before. Amanda, the night nurse on that floor, insisted she take Charlie around so Wilson could be alone with Sarah. Amanda and Charlie were watching t.v. in Wilson's office when he'd fallen asleep and he stayed on his couch.

There was one less thing to worry about after Kirsten called him when her shift started to keep an eye on House. But he wasn't the most important thing. He'd finally found the love of his life and she was battling for hers at the moment. He didn't know what he was going to do if she died. Life just kept getting better and better. in a sarcastic sense 

HOUSE sat in his leather recliner in the living room and hadn't moved the past several hours, nor had he fallen asleep. His mind kept going back to Charnie and worried the worst that could happen to her. He'd already downed more than half a bottle of scotch and he couldn't lift his head from the back of the recliner.

He'd convinced himself he wasn't drunk but that he was just tired. He could always convince himself things weren't as they appeared; it was a trick he'd learned in high school, especially after things would blow up between his sister LizBeth and their father. So, he would always do something at school to draw their father's wrath away from LizBeth because he could take it better than she could. He'd been suspended twice, put in detention for almost three months straight and banned from all sports and social events. The only one that ever kicked him in the ass when he needed it was David Dacosta. But after his death while they were in their junior year House went completely out of control.

House stood up to make some coffee when there was a knock on the front door. He looked at his watch; it read 8:47. He stared at the door for several minutes not wanting to answer it; he would have rather sit in the quiet of his apartment than have to socialize with anyone. He grunted, finally walked to the door and looked through the peephole to see Kirsten standing there.

"Dr. House, it's Captain Dacosta." She said authoritatively and seriously, but with a smile on her face, figuring he would be staring at her through the peephole. House rolled his eyes and opened the door.

"Where's the coffee?" She asked as she stood there, waiting for him to let her in.

"Haven't made it yet. It'll be ready like, tomorrow. Come back then." He said very bothered and was about to close the door when Kirsten caught the door just in time.

"Greg, I'm only trying to help you find your daughter. It's the least I can do after what happened with Liz…" She cut herself off at the sound of her name, not speaking her name for more than two decades.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" He asked as he stepped aside and let her in.

"I volunteered for your ca…" She started to say.

"No, Jersey." He said as he headed to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee.

She walked between the door frame and leaned against it, saying "It was the only precinct that would take…oh, it's a long story and right now my priority is on finding Charnie." He shot a quick glance at her and waited for the rest of the story but she didn't elaborate.

The coffee was done so he poured two cups and handed over hers. "Thanks. Hey, I've got to make a phone call."

House nodded his head and walked to the living room while Kirsten stayed in the kitchen.

Back at the Buchannon Hotel, Thomas had been pacing back and forth waiting for the phone call. The 'little brat' had been crying the past half hour and he was at his wit's end. After their phone call the night before, she had relented and brought over some canned baby food and fed her, but he sure didn't want to feed her. And he sure didn't want anything to do with her now. But it was better if 'she' was there with him, just in case any word came in that they'd located where he was.

The baby was crawling closer and closer to the edge of the bed. He walked to the side, picked her up like she was a rag doll and put her back in the middle of the bed. He walked to the table, opened a can of food and finally fed her. She stopped crying, for a total of five minutes when his cell phone rang.

"Yeah?" He said angrily.

"Is there any word on his location?" The woman asked, loud enough for House to hear from the living room, but then started to

talk in more of a whisper. "I'm leaving in ten minutes. The back door is unlocked." She then raised her voice and said, as she walked into the living room, still talking on the phone. "All's quiet here. Keep me posted. I need to tell him we've found his daughter."

She put the cell phone back in her waist pocket and sat across from him. "I'm sorry, Greg, they've not located him yet. But they think they have a lead." She lied. "I've got to run to the precinct for a bit but a replacement will be by in 30 minutes for the next shift. Do you need anything?" House slowly shook his head.

"We'll find her, Greg." She said and walked herself to the door, smiling as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

A little while later there was a knock on a door and it opened briskly, allowing the woman to walk in the hotel room.

"It's 'bout time you got over here! This little snot won't stop crying!" Thomas yelled impatiently.

"Oh, stop your complaining. It's a good thing you don't have children of your own." She said as she walked to the baby and gingerly picked her up, bouncing her on her hip to make her stop crying.

She turned to look at him. "Well, you wanted him, now he's yours. I'll take this little one home with me and we'll wait for your call. You know, I'm out of here as soon as you've taken care of things. She and I have got a 5:30 flight to St. Augustine."

Thomas smiled wickedly at her, grabbed a small duffle bag and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

The woman started to hum softly as she rocked the baby in her arms. "Everything is okay now, little one. No one will hurt you now that Thomas is gone. Just call me Auntie Kirsten."

Almost as soon as Kirsten left his apartment House was asleep on his bed in a drunken snore. It had been years since he'd had that much Scotch over a short period of time and he knew he'd regret it. But he didn't really care; he just cared about almost breaking his toe on the footboard of his bed when he went to the bathroom. From the excruciating pain and half the bottle of liquor, he'd fallen on the bed and passed out as soon as his head hit the cover.

House was oblivious to the man when he snuck into his apartment. He opened the door, walked through the living room, taking notice of the almost empty liquor bottle, quietly walked to the bedroom and stood over House, staring at him. The man stood there for a moment and wondered how he was going to take care of him. He had too much on his mind and this man was the last thing he needed to take care of now.

The man fake coughed a few times to stir him from his sleep but when House didn't respond he made his coughs louder and louder. He thrust his knee into the mattress to make it shake and even _that_ didn't stir him.

"HOUSE!" The man yelled. No response.

"HOUSE!" He yelled again, this time so loud his voice bounced off the walls.

He finally grew impatient and hit the side of his right leg. House only groaned and slightly moved his head but remained unconscious. The man shook his head and was about to really hit him hard on the leg when he felt an intense, electrifying pain on the side of his head and immediately heard ringing in his left ear. He raised his left hand up to the side of his head and felt another stinging pain on the back of his neck and he grew weak…everything went dark…noises faded…he couldn't see straight…he collapsed on the hardwood floor with a thud and a slight whimper.

House didn't know where he was at first but all he knew was his head hurt like hell and his leg hurt even worse. He tried to lift his head but it was entirely too heavy, as were his eyes. When he could get his head up and focused his eyes he saw a shadow in front of him but he couldn't make out who it was.

He turned his head to the left and could clearly see Wilson sitting beside him, his wrists and ankles bound to the chair and his head slumped so that his chin rested on his chest. He could see a thin trail of blood from behind his ear to his neck, where it had dried from the earlier crack to his neck. But his own wrists and ankles were not tied to the chair House was sitting in.

"Ah, I see you awake. You gave me lots 'a time to figure out what to do with you two." The man said, waving the gun he had in his hand.

"Wha' th…" House muttered. His mouth was dry and just talking made his leg hurt throb, as well as his head.

"Your buddy there came at da wrong time. I don't wan' him, you know. I only want you." The man said, taking a few steps closer to House. "I knew what to do with you, but he was a surprise. You think I gave him vasculitisis or procession when I hit him in the head? Too bad. He'll have a bullet through him before he knows it."

"Thomas…don'…"

"Oh, shut up! I don't wanna to hear nuttin' from ya!" He said as he struck House across his chin with the butt of the gun. His head flew to the right and he could feel the blood start to trickle from the corner of his mouth. With the back of his hand he wiped the blood away, but he kept his eyes planted on Thomas' the whole time.

"Where's Charnie?" House finally asked without stuttering from the pain.

"She's gone, just like you should 'a been last year." Thomas spat, giving House a deadly glare.

"You bast…" House started to say but Wilson's groans diverted his attention away from Thomas.

Wilson was still out of it. House gripped both of the arm rests and was about to push himself up to check on his condition when Thomas yelled at him to sit back down. Again, House stared Thomas down, challenging him to stop

him from getting up.

"I knew I should'a taken care of you last year. I've had over a year to plan this, and _him_ there complicated matters." Thomas said, pointing the pistol at Wilson as he started to pace back and forth.

"All I have to decide now is whether to make your death fast and painless, or slow and painful. Maybe I'll make you watch me take care of your buddy, but I'm not too concerned about him. A shot between the eyes. No problem." Thomas said wickedly.

Wilson had finally come around and looked back and forth between the two men. He had forgotten how he'd gotten there then it all came back to him: the fist at the back of the head and then the pain in the neck. Then he remembered something else.

"People know I'm here." He mumbled while still trying to adjust his vision.

"Oh, don't worry Jimbo Billy Bob! They won't find you alive, either of you." He said as he pointed the gun straight at Wilson's forehead. He smiled, looked directly at House and pulled the trigger…

But the only noise that they heard was the click from the trigger; no bullet was fired. Thomas laughed evilly, throwing his head back. Wilson let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"MAN! You should'a seen your face, House!" Thomas said between laughs. "This is gonna be better than I thought." He said as he walked toward the liquor cabinet, opened the door and pulled out a bottle of Jim Beam.

House looked at Wilson and again was about to push himself up when Thomas turned around quickly, aimed the gun right to the left of House and fired. House was taken completely off guard and felt the wind and 'whirr' from the bullet rush past his ear. He heard the 'ca-chunk' when the bullet hit the wall behind them.

"Didn't think there were any bullets in here, did you? Don't underestimate me, House. I've only just started." He said as he poured the whole glass of liquor down his throat and smiled when he placed the empty glass on the cabinet. He walked back toward the two in the center of the room. Just then there was a knock on the door and Thomas flinched.

"I told you they knew I was here." Wilson said as he looked at the door, praying it was Cuddy or Cameron, being nosy as she always was. Thomas tentatively walked to the door and peered through the peephole, then immediately relaxed. He opened the door and let her pass.

"Why the hell did you bring that thing here! I thought you had a fli…" Thomas started to say but she interrupted him.

"I've been having second thoughts. I can't do this. He doesn't deserve this. And this little girl definitely doesn't." She told him as she watched Thomas got more angry.

"Taking her was _your_ idea!" He said impatiently as she walked into the living room and saw House and Wilson in the chairs.

"Greg, I'm sorry." Kirsten said as she walked toward House and handed him Charnie.

House took his daughter in his hands and had never been so grateful in his entire life. "Why?" He asked her as he positioned C.T. on his left leg and held onto her as tight as he could.

Kirsten looked down at him and seemed on the brink of tears. "Because, Greg, I blamed you for David's death all these years. I figured taking the last thing you ever loved, your daughter, would have killed you. But, Thomas had other ideas."

"Shut up, Kir! You've just made matters worse, damnit! Now I gotta kill all them all!" Thomas yelled.

"Kirstie, David died from an unknown bacterial infection. It had nothing to do with me. I didn't kill your brother." House defended himself.

She became a little agitated. "Yes, you did! You were a wiz at that medical stuff. You just wouldn't give up until you knew what killed that pig in biology class. But you could have, David said you were brilliant. But you should have known what was wrong with David." She said coldly, changing her demeanor in a flash. "But I took Lizzie away from you, just as you took David away from me." Her eyes were icy cold and burned right through House's.

House looked at her confused because he didn't know what she was talking about.

"Greg, your precious little sis didn't commit suicide. I was in the car with her. I was there when she called you on your cell phone for help. She passed out before I did and I snuck out and no one knew! It was brilliant. And we were even steven."

"No…no…she was pregnant…she…Dad…" House muttered.

"Yeah, she was. And on that day we were going to the OB/GYN to confirm it with a blood test. I knew if we sat in the car long enough keeping her talking it wouldn't take long for her to die." She finished, sitting on the couch looking ten years older than when she first walked in the door.

"Kirsten, you should have just left and taken her with you." Thomas said angrily.

"No, I shouldn't have. I have spent the last 20 years planning to take you out, Greg. It wasn't long after Lizzie's funeral that I felt that way. I was bent on revenge for you killing David. But after being with your little girl, I couldn't do it. To her, or to you."

"Well, that sounds like an issue _you_ need to deal with. Now get over it and help me take care of these three." Thomas said.

"Take her from him." Thomas ordered Kirsten as she remained on the couch. She just looked up at him, completely unemotional and not about to take any orders from him. "Don't make me take you out, too." He threatened her.

She stood up, took a few steps toward him to confront him and looked him right in his eyes. "Do it, Tom. For God's sake please make the hurt g…"

She wasn't able to finish her sentence because as she was talking he brought the gun up to her chest level and fired, directly into her heart. She flew back and landed on the couch, with her legs hanging oddly over the edge and her arms up over her head. Her eyes were open, and it appeared she had a smile on her face. She'd gotten her just reward.

"Four down, three to go." Thomas said as he aimed the gun directly at Charnie's forehead. House instinctively wrapped his arm around her, for what good it would do and stood up.

"House…what the hell are you…" Wilson started to say but stopped himself speaking. Wilson watched as House, still holding C.T., slid to his right slowly because the pain was unbearable; he tried his best not to drop the baby.

"You can have Cuddy now, Thomas. We broke up a long time ag…" House started to say.

"SHUT UP! I don't want her now! She'd never come back to me."

"Well, of course not. After you tried to kill what, almost a dozen people last year? That would have been cool, though, huh?" House kept talking, still sliding to his right. "Ok, honey bunny, let me set you on the recliner so this nice man here and I can chat, ok?" He did as he said and faced Thomas one on one.

"Okay, take your best shot, Tommy boy." House said, spreading his arms out straight in the air.

Thomas stood there, speechless. He'd never met anyone that had so much ballness about him. He brought the gun in front of him and aimed at House, but before he could pull the trigger House rushed at him and wrapped his hands around the gun. The two struggled and threw each other around. Thomas kneed House in his right leg and he hollered in pain but never took his hands off the gun. Thomas got his foot caught on the leg of the coffee table and started to fall back. As Thomas crashed through the glass coffee table, the gun went off, with their bodies inches apart. Both Thomas and House flinched at hearing the shot.

"House! HOUSE! Answer me!" Wilson screamed from the chair, struggling very hard to free himself.

Just then the front door banged inward and there were shouts of "FREEZE!" and "POLICE!" Wilson instantly relaxed in his chair knowing help was finally there, but he had no clue if House was shot. He held his breath as he watched several men rush to the coffee table to determine the condition of the men.

House knew he landed on Thomas but he hadn't moved the past few minutes so he thought he was dead underneath him. He briefly looked at Thomas' hands to see if he was still holding the gun but he couldn't see the gun at all. He heard Charnie's cries beside him and wanted to comfort her but he didn't know how to at that precise moment.

One officer approached the two men lying where the coffee table once was with his gun drawn in front of him, ordering them to freeze. The officer bent over with the gun at the back of House's neck and told him to get up slowly.

"Easy for you to say!" He snickered as he tried get up on his good knee but was in too much pain, both from his bad leg and the broken glass. "Do ya _think_ someone can help me up? I'm a cripple." He said as he turned his head to look at one of the other officers, who cautiously grabbed House by his forearms and pulled him up.

When House got on his feet he looked down at Thomas. There was blood coming from his right side, staining his shirt a bright, shiny red and there were a few bloody pools surrounding his body from the broken glass. His eyes were still closed and once again House looked for the gun the two men fought over.

House turned to look at one of the officers when he saw a movement coming from Thomas and just after he heard a gunshot he felt a searing, hot pain implode in his stomach. Then there was one more gunshot, and then silence. House grabbed his stomach and stammered back a few steps. He felt a couple of hands on him and he grew weak in the knees. He slowly fell back while being held and was helped to the floor, where he sat, looking amazed that he was shot.

"Lie back!" One officer said as he saw the other untie Wilson's arms and legs. He suddenly felt queasy and did as the officer ordered.

"Thom…" House muttered while Wilson appeared at his side.

"They got him, House."

"I knew I was gonna get shot one of these days." House said as he tried to laugh, but felt blood come up from the back of his throat.

"Relax, House. I'll take Charnie. There's an amb…" Wilson was saying but what House was hearing was Wilson's voice slowly growing softer and everything around him grew blurry. Then everything went black around him.

Cuddy was sitting in House's office on the floor playing with C.T., while Cameron and Charlie were playing House's PlayStation. It was Saturday night, around 9pm and House was still in surgery; he'd been there for the past two hours; everyone else stayed home. Chase hung out at Foreman's with Nancy until someone contacted them about his condition and Rog was busy with a personal project at home, meaning he was working with Rebecca on the phone to get her up to visit him.

Wilson, on the other hand, was sitting in the observation tower of the surgical room watching Dr. Patel remove the bullet from House's stomach. The past hour was intense as he watched his friend lie helplessly on the table, his life alternating from excellent condition to life-threatening. After another hour Dr. Patel finally looked up at Wilson and nodded his head, meaning

the surgery was over.

Dr. Patel took a few steps back and removed his mask as he headed to the phone on the wall. He dialed a few numbers, the phone in the observation tower rang and Wilson answered it. They spoke for a few moments then Wilson thanked the surgeon and hung up. Wilson looked up at the ceiling, said a little prayer and walked out of the room, heading for the conference room.

"How is he?" Cuddy asked as Wilson walked into the room. He glanced into House's office and saw Cameron asleep on the couch, sitting up, with C.T. and Charlie on both sides of her fast asleep. "Let her sleep. How's House?" She asked again as she stood.

"Dr. Patel said the bullet just nicked his gallbladder, went through the Pyloric Sphincter into his bile duct. The difficult part wasn't getting the bullet out but repairing the damaged duct. Dr. Patel said he should be fine, as long as there isn't any infection."

"Oh, thank god. Wilson, with Sarah having surgery on Monday and now House in for a few days himself, Cameron and I already talked about her taking C.T. and I'll take Charlie. How does that sound?" She could see instant relief in his face when she said that.

Wilson nodded his head. "That would be great, Cuddy. Really." He said softly.

"Go see Sarah. We've got clothes for Charlie and C.T. Well, actually, Foreman and Chase are gonna break into his apartment but you didn't hear me say that." She said with a smile on her face.

Wilson looked at his son sleeping next to Cameron and smiled himself. He turned and looked at Cuddy. "Thanks."

After Wilson gave Cuddy House's key to his apartment he went to Sarah's room and found her awake and sitting up in bed.

"How ya feeling, honey?" He asked as he kissed her on the cheek then sat on the bed next to her.

"Not bad, but then again, morphine is great for pain." She said with a laugh. "Where's Charlie? And how's Greg?"

He smiled at her barrage of questions. "Charlie is staying with Cuddy and C.T. is staying with Cameron. God help that little girl." He said with a laugh.

"Why do you say that? And again, how's Greg?"

"Well, if you really ARE psychic then you would KNOW how he is. And because once Cameron gets her hands on C.T. she'll never want to let her go."

"Jim, don't start. You're starting to sound like Greg. You know it doesn't work that way any…wait, why am I justifying myself with you? Hun, I think I need sleep." She said with a soft laugh. "So, you're not leaving tonight, right?"

He shook his head and lay down next to her. "No, never." He said, burying his face in her neck and closed his eyes.

Cuddy walked into House's office from the conference room and quietly woke Cameron up, trying not to wake C.T. She told her to take the baby back to her place for the night, inform the guys and be at House's at 10ish the next morning.

Cuddy slid Charlie's coat on him but he woke up but he was still half asleep. "Mommyy?" Charlie whispered.

"No, it's Aunt Lisa. Mommy's ok. You're coming to my house for the night." She said, zipping up his coat. She put her own coat on, picked him up and he immediately flopped his head on her shoulder and fell back to sleep.

Cameron had better luck putting on C.T.'s coat without waking her and the four left House's office together.


	18. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

Two weeks had passed since House was shot and endured surgery and Sarah was home but receiving radiation to rid her cancer. House had a little difficulty adjusting to his apartment now, considering a man died on his living floor and the man shot him there. That particular Thursday night he sat on the couch reliving the moment over and over in his head, wondering what he could have to prevent being shot. But there were no lingering problems from surgery except a little bit of pain. The Vicodin took care of that, with a little Scotch on the side.

C.T. was happy playing by herself but recently he felt bad for her because she didn't have any others her age to play with, other than Charlie. He told himself he'd check into DayCare because with Sarah's treatments having both kids would be too difficult on her. He thought he heard a noise come from her bedroom and realized it was just her turning over.

There was a quick, bright flash the came from his window but there was silence. He looked at his empty glass of Scotch, groaned, stood up, walked to the bar, refilled his drink and walked to the window, slowly pushing the curtains aside. He heard a distant rumble that gradually grew louder then faded away. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, AND hearing. There was a wild wind of heavy flurries blowing around and it had just thundered.

"End of March…just turned officially Spring and it's freakin' flurrying." He said out loud. He walked back to the couch, popped a couple of Vicodin for the night's sleep and finished off the Scotch.

The early evening news was about to come on and he wanted to stay up to watch what was happening with the snow, considering it might keep away from work the next day, with any luck.

He just sat back, turned up the volume when the phone rang. He looked at the clock; it read 10:02pm. He grunted, closed his eyes and reached for the phone, answering without opening his eyes.

"Dr. House, it's Dr. Parker." She simply said. House remained quiet.

"I wanted to remind you of our 9:30 appointment tomorrow."

"Oh, I forgot to call you. I have an MRI to do and then a CAT scan then…"

"No, you don't."

"Yeah, I do." He answered, sounding like a kid trying to get out of homework.

"Dr. Cuddy said you'd say that. She told me to tell you if you don't come you'll have 20 more clinic duty hours added onto the 374 you have left." He again remained quiet. "So, I'll see you tomorrow?" She asked.

"Yeah."

Dr. Parker hung up the phone and smiled triumphantly.

Early the next morning, Cameron was up earlier than normal, had made coffee and was sitting at the kitchen table with the newspaper folded out in front of her. But she wasn't reading it; her mind was on the day she and Chase watched C.T. while House was recuperating at PPTH from the gunshot.

She was already 33, had a great career, had a wonderful man that cared about her but she still felt something was missing. She questioned herself the past two weeks whether it was because she wanted a baby of her own. She knew she loved Chase but something inside her made her scared. Her mother adored Chase and her father liked messing with him, which was a good sign also.

And yet, she also had to be honest with herself: Had watching C.T. given her an 'edge' over House? Why was she even thinking about that? She shook her head and finished her coffee then stood up and placed the cup in the sink.

There was a knock on the door. She looked at the clock and realized it was Chase to pick her up so they could ride to the hospital together. She grabbed her light sweater, purse and lab coat and headed for the door, without looking through the peep hole.

She opened it and was about to take a step when she saw the unfamiliar shoes and looked up at the person wearing them: Dr. Gregory House. He had little Charnie in his left arm and looked very awkward holding her. She stood there a moment, not quite sure what to say.

"Uh, do you think you can help me and take her for a sec?" He asked. C.T. smiled when she saw Cameron and put her hands out before she reached to get her. When C.T. was in Cameron's arms she started running her hands through her long hair; she hadn't put it up yet.

"What are you doing here, House?"

"I have a favor." He said, trying to act as charming as he could, even batting his eyelashes.

"Oh, no. I can't watch her. You know I have to wor…"

"It's not that. Do you think you can find a good daycare for her?" He finally got to the point.

"Couldn't you have asked me at work?"

"But we always talk about work at work. I'd never get a chance to sit and have a nice heart to heart talk with you.

She smiled. "Since when have we _ever_ had a heart to heart chat?"

"There was…then there was…uh, never but there's a first time for everything."

"House, Chase is taking me to work and he'll be here any minute."

"No, he won't." He simply said.

"Yes, he will…"

"He called me to take you. He got a flat tire and will be to work late." He said with a half grin.

"Why didn't you just _say_ that!" She said as she walked through the door and started down the hall, leaving House to scamper fast to meet up with her.

"I like to keep you on your toes. Besides, that's what makes a good doctor." He snickered.

"Seeing patients and diagnosing is what makes me a good doctor. So, does that make me a better doctor than you?" She asked as she reached for the 'down' button on the elevator.

"Psshhaww, I don't think so." He said as the elevator doors closed behind them.

Foreman and Rog both looked at each other with raised brows when House and Cameron holding C.T. came into the conference room.

"What? Never seen a baby before?" House snickered as he headed to his office, dropped off C.T. bag and his duffle bag and came back to the others.

"Dr. House, Dr. Parker called this morning to remind you of your 9:30 appt." Rog told him as Cameron set C.T. on the table in front of him. She smiled and he carefully but lovingly removed her spring coat. Cameron went to the coffee machine to make the second pot for the day.

"Don't break her arms getting them out of the sleeve, and watch out for the…" House started to say before Rog interrupted him.

"House, I _do_ have two nieces and I've not broken one bone in their body." Rog told him throwing her coat on the chair beside him.

"Hey, what are you doing for the next 15 minutes?" House asked Rog after he glanced at his watched and realized he was two minutes later for Dr. Parker (like he really cared?).

"Say no, Rog! Say no!" Foreman whispered from the corner of his mouth loud enough on purpose for House to hear.

"I'm hoping to go through mail and find something to do." He retorted.

"That's Cameron's job!" House said as he looked at Cameron and winked at her. "Oh, wait, I've given her another project. Ok, you get to watch C.T. while she does my project." House said as he walked toward the door.

"WAIT!" Rog yelled. "Either way I'm still supposed to watch her?"

"Wow, you're smart! You should be a doctor." House said as he walked through the door and it closed behind him.

"You suck at dodging House, Rog." Foreman teased as he stood up to get a cup of coffee.

"Hey, I love watching C.T., don't I Charnie Barnie! I just didn't want _him_ to know I like watching her."

As Foreman came back to the table he gave Rog a high five. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you."

"You guys need to grow up." Cameron said as she, too, came back with a cup of coffee and also high fived Rog. The three doctors all burst out laughing.

But up in Dr. Parker's office there would be nothing to laugh about, nothing at all.

House knocked on Dr. Parker's office door and waited. There was a soft, "Come in." House took in a deep breath and walked into her office.

He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the occupants of the chairs sitting across from Dr. Parker, with an empty chair in the middle with his name written all over it…

Mom and Dad House.

House smiled at his mother who looked happy to see him, then looked at his father who didn't look happy to see him then at Dr. Parker who looked very apprehensive about the whole meeting. House himself looked shocked because hated surprises, especially ones that he couldn't prepare himself to think of excuses, or valid excuses. Mom House stood up and gave her son a warm hug while Dad House sat in the chair and coldly put out his hand but House didn't reach out to shake it. He sat in the chair slowly and grimaced, trying not to look like he was in pain from the gunshot but his mother looked at him worriedly.

"What is it, Greg?" Mom House asked.

"Heartburn." He lied.

"Dr. House, please." Dr. Parker said, knowing he'd been shot just two weeks earlier. "I called this meeting hopefully to bring some light on why there is such a distance between you and your parents. This isn't the time to lie."

House looked at her in defeat but still tried to think of ways to get out of the truth. He finally nodded his head.

"Greg, what happened?" Mom House asked.

"I was cleaning my shot gun."

"You don't have a shot gun." Dad House said.

"WHAT?" Mom House said.

"Probably tried to hold up a bank to pay for the bike you'll eventually wreck." Dad House muttered.

"Mr. House, there will be none of that in here. Dr. House is in a lot of pain and…" Dr. Parker started to say.

"That's Col. House." Dad House snottily corrected then she apologized.

"Please tell me what happened, Greg!" Mom House demanded.

House told his parents most of the events of what happened with Kirsten dacosta and Thomas, leaving out some of the more important details, specifically regarding Liz.

"Why didn't you call us? We could have come down. What happened to Charnie? Was she hurt?" Mom House asked.

"She's fine, Mom. Cameron's watching her."

Her face lit up with excitement. "You mean she's here?"

He nodded his head. "In my office."

"OH! I can't wait to see her!" Mom House said as she looked at her husband, who sat staring out at the window.

"Let's get down to business." Dr. Parker said authoritatively. "Col. House, what was your childhood like?"

Dad House looked at her like he was about to go off on her. "Like any other childhood. Did what Father told me while he was away in WWI. I was 16 when Mom died and he was overseas. I had a younger brother to take care of so I took responsibility at a young age. I grew up fast. I had to."

Dr. Parker nodded her head then asked "How was your relationship with your parents?"

"Father was very controlling, unemotional and strict. But he had a family to support. I never argued with him. I understood where he was coming from when we had Greg." He added that last sentence with a smirking glance toward his son as if it left a bad taste in his mouth. He quickly looked away from listening to his father.

"Mrs. House, what was your childhood like?"

"Very loving. I had four brothers and a sister and we were very close. My parents always supported us, within boundaries. Daddy died at the Battle of the Bulge but his death only made our family closer and stronger."

"So, on one childhood spectrum we have a controlled, strict environment; on the other we have a supportive, loving home. When you two planned on having children did you two discuss how you would raise your children?"

The three sat in silence for a moment. "I'd say that is a no." House snipped. Dr. Parker gave him a 'warning' glance.

"We never had a class on parenthood like there is now if that's what you mean." Mom House said. "Everyone back then did the best they could with what they had and they were happy with it, with what they had, I mean."

"Times were so different then, too. No one appreciates anything they have nowadays." Dad House threw in.

"That's true. Things were different back then. But don't you agree that those that don't appreciate anything were never taught how to appreciate it?" Mom and Dad House didn't respond, whether it was from the abrasiveness of her choice of words or whether she indeed was right.

"Dr. House, how would you describe your childhood?"

He thought for a moment then said, "Rough."

"How so?" Dr. Parker asked.

"Well, why don't you ask _him_. He was the one that had a problem with Liz."

"Greg, honey, don't st…" Mom House started to say.

"Oh, so your problems were all caused by me, huh? Nice, son." Dad House said sarcastically.

"I didn't say that. You two always butted heads and I was stuck in the middle."

"_You_ put yourself in the middle."

"Someone had to! You were always too hard on her." House said, starting to get defensive.

Dr. Parker noticed Mom House sink deeper into her chair but remained silent, hoping the two men would get what was really bugging them out.

"How so? She never listened to a word I said, now did she?" Dad House spat.

"What you never got about her was she did listen to you. But did you ever listen to her? She didn't need to be told how to make a grilled cheese sandwich the 'right way' or how to pick out clothes the 'right way' or how to live her life the way _you_ did." House said. "If she wanted to go to China to get to New York then _let_ her! What difference did it make?"

"Now, wait, Dr. House, Col. House. We're not discussing your sister. We need to figure out where the tension is coming from between the two of you." Dr. Parker said.

"That's a lot of the tension right there." House said, not looking at his dad.

"Dr. House, can you tell me what one thing you've wanted from your father that you felt you never got?" Dr. Parker asked.

House didn't answer for the longest time and the silence was killing Mom House.

"Someone to support me." He finally answered.

"Support you? You had to learn to be a man an…" Dad House started to say but House interrupted him.

"Because I didn't choose to go into the military but chose medicine; because I didn't marry as young as you did and raise a family; because I didn't do a lot of the things you had the chance to. It was never good enough for you. Everything I did wasn't good enough, was it, Dad?" House asked with anger in his voice.

"Greg, now don't talk to your father like that." Mom House scolded.

"Mrs. House, this is good. They're saying what they need to. Greg, what type of relationship do you feel you and your mother share?"

"Unconditional." He simply answered as Mom House smiled a bit.

"Oh, are you saying I don't love my own children?" Dad House said, a little loud than he meant to.

"Not without your own set of rules." House replied rather nastily.

"What's wrong with rules?" Dad House asked.

"Rules suck." House answered in a childish tone.

"Ok, we're going backwards now." Dr. Parker broke in. "Col. House, why do you feel it is so important for you to control things, in particular your son?"

"Because if I don't no one will." Dad House simply said.

"But then that's my choice, isn't it?" House said angrily as he stood up and limped to the window, turning his back on the others in the room.

"It's not your responsibility to dictate the rest of his life, Col. House. In order for him to grow himself he needs to do things on his own, make his own decisions. And if they are the wrong decisions then _he_ has to live with the consequences, _not_ you." Dr. Parker pointed out to Dad House as she looked at her watch.

"I'm afraid time is up for now. But as you know," Dr. Parker said as she looks at his parents "we'll meet again tomorrow, same

time, to continue where we left off."

"You have _got_ to be kidding me!" House said as he turned back to look at Dr. Parker as if she were kidding.

"I'm not a kidder, Dr. House." She replied.

Mom and Dad House stood up and walked out as House continued to stand at the window.

"Dr. House, you have to leave." Dr. Parker told him.

"Oh, I'd love to, really love to, just leave." He said, then sighed and walked out of her office.

House stopped at the elevator where his parents were already waiting for the next car, although he really wanted to be alone and 'come down' from his emotional interrogation. But he knew his mother would want to meet Charnie so he figured he'd get it over with.

"I can't wait to see my grandbaby! I've bought her some things." Mom House said as she lifted a bag by the handle with a huge smile. House could see a stuffed animal and some clothes and smiled at her. "I cannot believe how expensive baby clothes have gotten! But she's worth it."

Dad House stood in the corner of the elevator and seemed to be in a world of his own. When the doors opened House stood aside and let his mother get off, then purposefully stepped in front of his father to be the next out. House swore he heard a noise escape his father's lips but as his father just did, he ignored him.

Mom House opened the door to the conference room so her son could walk through and as Dad House approached he grabbed the door and held it open for her. Rog was sitting on a blanket on the floor with Charnie, reading her a medical book, Chase and Foreman were sitting at the table and Cameron was on the phone in the privacy of House's office.

"Dr. House!" Rog said as he quickly closed the medical book, like he'd been reading her a Playboy magazine or something.

"Are you showing pictures of blood and guts to my daughter!" House said, trying to sound serious but also joking.

"No, well, yes, I just…well, no…" Rog stuttered.

"Relax. I was joking." House said as Mom House stepped toward Rog and bent down to get a better look at Charnie.

"Hey, little one! I'm your grandma! Yessss, I aaaam!" Mom House said as she picked her up and held her out in front of her. "Oh, Greg, she's precious, just precious."

House barely nodded his head, pulled out a chair and sat down. He pushed out the chair across from him with his left foot and looked at his father, meaning for him to sit in that chair. But Dad House walked toward Mom House and took Charnie out of Grandma's hands.

"We call her C.T. It's confused Charlie." House told his parents.

"Who's Charlie?" Mom House asked.

"Oh, Wilson's boy. His mom, Sarah, has been watching her while I work."

"Oh, did you get references on Sarah and do you know what…" Mom House started to say when she cut her own self off. "I'm sorry, honey. It's the grandmother bug that escaped. I'm sure if she's James' wife she's just fine." House was about to correct his mom when her attention was again on C.T. House looked at the scene in front of him and held his breath.

He previously saw Rog disappear to his office where Cameron was but surprised Chase and Foreman were still sitting at the table. He looked at each of them mentally channeling them to leave, like, pronto. But it didn't work. As Dad House stood with Charnie in his arms House finally threw introductions around then said, while looking at Chase and Foreman, "Don't you two have an MRI or a PCT or a LDM to perform on some sick person?"

"What's an LD…" Rog asked as he came back into the room but Foreman was already headed toward the door and elbowed Rog's shoulder hard but not to be mean, just to make him shut up and follow them, which he did.

Just when Mom and Dad House sat down at the table Cameron strolled into the conference room acting as if she were about to burst with some great news but kept it toned down a bit as she said hello to her boss's parents.

"Dr. House, those reports you wanted, about the conference centers…" She said, with an apparent emphasis on 'conference centers', "…they're on your desk. A few places look promising."

House said thanks and Cameron stood there for a moment, like she was waiting for an invitation to stay. When that didn't come she dismissed herself and walked out into the hallway. She turned the corner, stopped, and turned back around, peeking at House's office where she had a clear view of him with his parents. The first thing she noticed was how much more comfortable he looked with his parents, more so than when she'd seen them the first time in the cafeteria eating dinner.

She stood watching Dad House holding Charnie and Mom House putting the baby's shoes back on and Father House looking at his parents with their only grandchild. She couldn't help but smile, when suddenly she felt eyes bearing down on her. She tore her eyes away from Charnie and looked at House, who was looking directly at her! She quickly hid behind the corner, knowing full well he had seen her, but hoping he didn't. She continued down the hall to check on patients.

While Foreman, Chase and Rog headed down the hallway to the cafeteria (it was lunchtime) all three were perplexed at the arrival of House's parents.

"I never thought he'd introduce us." Foreman said.

"Well, I don't know if House getting counseling _with_ his parents is a good thing or bad thing." Chase said. "Oh, crap! I'm gonna have to run. I'm planning on something for Allison and…later!" He said as he dashed off.

Foreman turns to Rog and says, "I don't know what's gotten into him! Ever since he's been with Cameron he's been so…oh, I dunno…"

"Flighty. I think the word you're looking for is flighty." Rog intervened.

"Yes, exactly! Rog, you're beginning to become one of us." Foreman said with a laugh.

"As long as House doesn't rub off on us, I'm fine with that." Rog said as the walked into the cafeteria.

Chase ran to Cuddy's office and found her already on the phone and just caught the words, "prefer someone taller…" when she excused the call, hung up and said hello to Chase, heard what she'd said but pretended he didn't, although he made himself a mental note to himself.

"Dr. Cuddy, can you do me a favor?" He asked excitedly as he sat down.

"Sure, as long as it doesn't involve House. I do him enough favors." She said with a laugh.

"When we go to Atlantic City in two weeks for the conference do you think you can make a few small special arrangements? I'll give you the money up front."

Cuddy slyly grinned at him and wondered what he was up to. "Does this have anything to do with you and Cameron?"

"Well, sorta. Is there anyway we can have our own room?"

"Oh, is that all? Not a problem." She told him, seemingly relieved.

"And there's a few more things…" He said, rattling off a small list of items he wanted and she happily agreed to every single one.

Back in the conference room House was still with his parents and C.T. Mom House was holding her granddaughter after they'd been playing with the stuffed monkey. She decided she'd change her into the clothes she'd bought her and put her into a

cute red playsuit with red sneakers, red socks and a red sweater.

"Don't you think there's a little too much red?" House asked, mainly just playing with his mom.

"A little girl can never wear too much red. Right, Charneeee? I've dressed two children and I think…" She said but her thoughts drifted off.

House knew what that meant: she was thinking of Liz. And seeing her husband with a little girl in his hands again only made the stinging worse. House had no idea how he was going to handle C.T., considering the relationship with his own daughter years ago.

But what his parents didn't know yet is how their daughter actually died, or was murdered. All they knew was she committed suicide, and House knew after all these years that his father held some guilt for that. Maybe he was coming to terms with it by being playful with his granddaughter, but who knew. House was never sure of anything when it came to his father.

"Isn't it time for lunch?" Mom House asked.

"Why don't you three go so I can look over the paperwork Cameron left on my desk." House said, hoping they'd go for it as he walked to C.T.'s diaper bag, pulled out two jars of BabyYum Baby food, a spoon and bib, handing them to his mother.

"There you go, pulling yourself away from us again. Don't want to eat with us, or are you embarrassed of us?" Dad House said a little agitated.

"Dad, no, I'm not. Don't you want time with your granddaughter?" House said completely genuine.

"Leonard, come on. He does have work to do." Mom House said as she headed for the door. Just as she turned her head away she gave her son a little wink.

"Dinner. I'll try to be done so we can go to dinner." House offered.

Dad House nodded his head and told his son they'd be back shortly as they walked out.

Chase had one more thing to do before he met the others in the cafeteria. He had a phone call to make. The most important phone call Dr. Robert Chase has ever had to make.

He walked to Wilson's office to use his phone because he wouldn't be there; he'd been spending more time at home than usual since Sarah had been getting chemo. He'd come in for a few hours every other day to check up on previous patients.

Chase sat down at Wilson's desk, took a deep breath, picked up the phone and dialed the number. His heart was pounding in his chest and his palms were a little sweaty. When he heard the man's voice say hello he choked on his own words.

"Hello, Mr. Cameron, may I speak to you and your wife for a moment?"

Rog and Foreman sat in the cafeteria. Rog was eating a roast beef sandwich (light on the mayo, no tomato w/lettuce) and Foreman was eating a Reuben, everything exactly how House eats his.

"Foreman, did anyone tell you you're becoming a Mini House?" Rog asked playfully.

Foreman shot a death glare at Rog but then his face softened. "Uh, I've been insulted before but not THAT insulted."

"I've heard you two wore the same sneakers and you even got Mo…Cuddy pissed at you when you wouldn't treat that lady who thought she had breast cancer. Admit it! I mean, what's next? You two gonna wear the same underwear?"

"Oh, shut up, Ro…oh, hey Chase." Foreman said as Chase sat down at their table empty handed.

"You're not going to eat?" Rog asked as he tried to hold back a laugh from his teasing Foreman.

"Don't have much of an appetite."

"Why not? What's up with you?" Foreman asked.

"Just have a lot of things on my mind." Chase said, as he suddenly noticed Col. and Mrs. House with C.T. in her stroller.

"Oh, no. As if one weren't enough…." Foreman mumbled under his breath.

"Be nice, Foreman!" Cameron said as she sat down with a salad, no dressing, no croutons or sunflower seeds, a plain old nasty dry salad. She made sure she had House's parents in the corner of her eye, though.

"Invaded the garden patch in the back, Cameron?" Rog teased her.

"Have you been following House's parents?" Chase asked.

"Cameron, does Chase wear boxers or briefs?" Foreman asked, playing along with is coworkers.

Cameron responded to Foreman's comment with a rounded off 'bam' right on his shoulder. He cried out and started rubbing it, but it didn't really hurt…not too bad.

"Oh, come on, Foreman! Don't be such a wuss!" Chase ribbed him. "I've been hit many a times by her."

"Hey, Foreman, is Nancy coming to A.C. with us?" Rog asked, trying to change the subject.

He looked at Rog and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. She's already got plans but she might be able to rearrange them. But it's doubtful." He said sadly.

"Becka is coming in next week; she might be able to stay longer and come with us." Rog said excitedly.

"That'd be great." Cameron said, obviously distracted.

"Girl, you need to stop staring!" Chase said, lightly tapping her on the shoulder with the back of his hand.

"What! I'm not staring at anything." She said.

"Hey, Chase, did you notice that orange outfit C.T. is wearing!" Foreman edged him on.

"It's not orange. It's….oh, hell." She said with a laugh.

"Why do you care so much about House's parents? Do you think they're as damaged as he is?" Foreman asked, taking a huge bite from his sandwich.

Cameron shrugged her shoulders then she felt something brush her back softly. She turned around to see Dr. Gregory House look down on her. She felt her heart skip a beat and could have sworn Foreman blushed.

"I'm not damaged, I'm special." He said, eyeing each of the doctors and walked away toward the food counter.

After House got his food he walked toward the table where Mom and Dad House were and apprehensively sat down, pinching C.T.'s cheek when she giggled at him after he made a funny face at her. They noticed his father said a word or two and House looked at him hurt, or so Cameron thought to herself.

She pushed her half-eaten lunch away from her, stood up and walked toward them, looking confident. When House saw her approach them his eyes read, "Ok, I thanked you once before for not inviting yourself to dinner when you first met my parents. Now isn't the time to meet them, either." But, as Cameron is Cameron she didn't pick up on his vibe.

"Oh, lord, it's gonna hit the fan now." Foreman said and shrunk in his chair.

Chase looked at him funny and asked, "What do you mean?"

"Just look where she's going." He answered, tilting his head toward where Mom and Dad House were sitting.

"I don't see anything flying yet, boss." Rog said with a smile.

"Give it a sec." Chase said and snickered along with Foreman.

When House realized Cameron wasn't going to back off he invited her to sit down.

"Oh, how are you Dr. uh…I'm sorry. I've forgotten your name. That was such a while ago when we first met." Mom House said as she handed C.T. a cracker, who took it happily and stuck it in her mouth, not really sure what she was supposed to do with it.

"Why, it's cute little Dr. Cameron." Dad House said, giving her a wink and a half grin. Cameron felt about three years old when he said that but she let it fly off her shoulder.

But suddenly Cameron went tongue tied and couldn't think of a word to say. She looked at House to start some kind of conversation but she should have known better. He only raised his eyebrows as if to say, 'You got yourself into this.'

Just then Cameron's pager went off. She reached in her lab coat pocket, pulled it out and sighed (with a bit of relief), "It's Dr. Wilson. He needs me."

"For what?" House asked, trying not to sound jealous.

Cameron stood up and pushed in her chair. "Now, if I knew what he wanted he wouldn't have had to page me, right?" She said then walked away.

"She's a spicy number there, son. You ever hit on her?" Dad House asked as he picked up the cracker C.T. just dropped on the floor.

House shot his father a look but Mom House intervened, luckily for House. "I was wondering, think we could have her for the rest of the day and meet you at your apartment?"

House was just about to argue because, well, he always had to argue. He thought about it for a minute and said it wasn't a bad idea.

"How about inviting Cammie?" Dad House asked, rather teenager-ish.

Just then House's pager went off. He didn't even bother looking at it when he stood up and said he had to go. "Meet me in the lobby around 5:00. I've moved." He said rather coldly and walked toward the door.

He pushed the door open and there, before him, were Foreman, Rog, Chase, Cameron and Wilson. He looked at each of them perplexed.

"Ok, I should either ask what the hell is up or thank you from the bottom of my cane." House said.

"Nah, just thank us. I could tell Cameron needed to be rescued." Wilson said with a sly grin.

"And from Cameron's topic of conversation we figured _you_ needed to be rescued." Foreman said, extending his hand for a handshake.

House reached out for it and just at the last minute pulled it back and ran his hand through his hair and walked away. As the elevator door opened House took a step so that the others couldn't get on and just as the door 'dinged' he stepped further inside, shutting the others out and left them standing in the hall.

"Geez, he could be a little more grateful, don't you think?" Rog asked as they headed for the bottom of the stairs.

"Hellow! It's Dr. House we work with, Rog! Where have _you_ been?" Foreman said as he laughed and patted him on his back.

House headed back to his office although he wasn't sure why. There had to be somewhere he could 'hide' from everyone for a while. But it didn't matter, they always found him anyway.

He sat behind his desk and looked through the 'conference papers' Cameron had researched earlier that morning, which were daycare centers. There were years of experience, years the day care was at the previous location, number of employees, names of references…so much information he couldn't comprehend it all.

He sheepishly looked at the phone, picked up the receiver and said, "I've decided to go into rehab. Can you help me?" The person said they'd be right up. House put his hands on the back of his head, sat back in his chair and waited for the person to come in.

A few minutes later Cuddy sauntered in with a relieved expression on her face. "I am so glad you finally dec…"

"Cuddy, help me pick out a day care for Charnie."

Cuddy looked at him confused. "You lied to me!"

"You know the Smothers Brothers? Their song Vat of Chocolate – Tommy Smothers' philosophy when he fell into the vat of chocolate was to cry out FIRE instead of CHOCOLATE because no one would have come to his rescue if he yelled chocolate."

"Are you on crack now?" Cuddy asked.

"Seriously, there's so much crap here I have no id…"

"Fine, fine." She said.

The two spent almost an hour reviewing and narrowing the choices down to three centers. House would visit each location – actually he'd send Cameron out to visit each location and choose which she liked the best – and then he would sign her up.

A few minutes after Cuddy left Wilson came in, flopped himself on House's couch and deeply sighed. Both the men remained silent mainly because Wilson was completely defeated and House didn't really care.

"Ever have the feeling you are in the wrong reincarnated body?" Wilson asked very seriously.

"Well, I liked being King Edward the first until he/we/I got beheaded, and then there was the time I was a cockroach and that was horrible, everyone kept chasing me…then I was Elvis before the Elvis we all know and love and then I guess my favorite life was Steve McQueen, no…Clint Eastwood…no, wait….."

"House, no more coffee for you, ok?" Wilson said without looking at House. He was exhausted enough with worrying over Sarah while he was at work and seeing Charlie pick up the slack that any 5-year old shouldn't. Wilson was simply at his wit's end.

Later that afternoon, Cuddy was sitting in her office finalizing the preparations for the conference in Atlantic City. It was a little difficult getting the requests Chase asked her for but she was able to pull it off for him. She made herself a mental note to make an appointment with Dr. Parker.

She was actually looking forward to it. She swore to herself there was no way she was going to babysit House because she was going to be hitting the slots herself. Along with the slots she was thankful for the chance to hang out with Rog a bit more. They'd been able to work through some of the issues between them but it was strictly on a professional level, not personal.

Back in the conference room, the gang was sitting around twiddling their thumbs while House sat in his office ignoring Wilson, who was still sitting on his couch.

When a commercial came on he asked Wilson, "What do you think about that Tiffany falsifying those adoption papers? It was her kid to begin with…"

"I really don't care. House, do you know if there are any medical researches out there for cancer treatment?" Wilson asked forlornly.

House glanced at Wilson for the first time. "I heard she's not responding to the radiation. Check with Rog. I thought he had someone in mind when Melissa…" His voice trailed off as he heard himself say her name for the first time in a while.

House saw his parents walk toward the door and swiftly picked up the phone, even though it hadn't rung, and started spewing medical terms and medications. Wilson stood up, shook Dad House's hand and motioned for them to sit on the couch. He excused himself and walked out.

C.T. had fallen asleep on Grandma's shoulder and Dad House grabbed a pillow and placed it under her elbow. House watched them the whole time and inside started seething. He sure as hell never treated Liz that way. He continued to talk and Dad House was visibly becoming more impatient with his son.

That was fine with House. He loved egging his father on. But he'd have to be careful how he treaded because he may just piss him off enough to not watch C.T. when or if he needed…wait, what was he thinking? He ended the call, hung up the phone and turned to his parents.

"How long are you two staying?" House asked, even before he realized it.

Mom House shrugged her shoulders and said, "Honey, what do you think of us finding a house here so we can watch our granddaughter while you work?" Mom House asked, and House had never felt a wave of nausea hit him as quickly as it had now. He reached for his bottle of Vicodin, popped two and swallowed them down eagerly.

"Just like I thought, Gladys. He doesn't need us, he's got his uppers. Let's leave. I knew he didn't want us here anyway." Dad House said as he stood up.

At first House couldn't think of anything to say. He wasn't sure if he wanted them to stay or leave. All he knew was he had to think, and quickly.

"Leonard, stop it. He just needs to be alone." Mom House said understanding, stood up and handed C.T. to House. He smiled at his mother appreciatively, avoiding eye contact with his dad.

"Honey, we'll do dinner tomorrow, before the weekend, ok? We're staying at the Doncaster. I'll call you later." She said as she she grabbed her light coat and purse.

"Great, fine." House answered, unemotionally.

Mom House smiled back and the two walked out. House had never been so relieved in his life. He looked at C.T. and smelled something funny, or nasty, really. He crinkled his nose, looked for her bag and realized his mom still had it. He cursed quietly, grabbed his cane and ran after his parents in the hallway, holding C.T. awkwardly. He reached them just as they stepped onto the elevator. Mom and Dad House stepped out just in time before the doors closed.

"I forgot...you've got..." House said but he looked at the bag under her arm.

"Don't drop the baby. It breaks, you know." Dad House said, but House ignored him.

"Oh, silly me." Mom House said as she handed the bag to him.

"Hey, at least it was the bag instead of the baby you forgot." Dad House noted.

House shot his father a look, of warning more than anything. Mom House elbowed Dad House in his side and he flinched, but didn't say anything.

"Thanks, Mom...for today." House said sincerely, taking the bag from her and walked back to his office.

When House walked in Cameron was standing by his desk. He gave her a look, put C.T. on the sofa, got out her little stuffed animal she had to have when her diapers are changed and got out her diaper and baby wipes. Cameron didn't offer to change the diaper, though. She just stood there watching him, as it was the first time she seen him change her diaper, _any_ diaper. It was the first time she'd seen him do _anything_ manly-like.

After C.T. was cleaned up she got cranky for her bottle, so House laid her on the couch with her bottle; it was time for her nap anyway. House and Cameron walked into the conference room, where Cameron sat next to Chase and House went to the coffee pot and poured a cup. He turned around and looked at the blank white board, wishing there was a case he was working on to keep his mind off his parents, specifically his father.

"What?" House asked the gang, who were all eyeing him waiting for him to say something.

"Nothing. We were just wondering..." Foreman started to say but Chase interrupted.

"I've got to go make a phone call." Chase said as he stood up and walked toward the door. Cameron eyed his back the whole time and of course House caught it.

"Chase has a girlfriend! Chase has a girlfriend!" House said childishly, making Chase stop, turn and stare House down.

"Yeah, I do. And she's sitting right there." Chase said, pointing to Cameron. "Hands off. She's mine." And Chase walked out.

Cameron looked at Rog and Foreman, who were now eyeing her. "He's been acting strange lately." She stated.

Rog shrugged his shoulders and Foreman asked, "You think he _might_ have a girlfriend?"

Chase walked into an empty room, reached for his cell phone and made a couple of calls.

"...That'd be fine. But I think she's starting to suspect something." He said to the woman on the other end. They exchanged a few more words and hung up.

Chase told himself she doesn't know anything, but he'd have to play it cool for a while so she wouldn't 'go over the edge.'

Later that night, House just put Charnie to bed after they took Wayni for a walk. The puppy was getting bigger, but getting such a rambunctious personality. If it weren't for C.T. he would have taken her to the pound. But she was too irresistible now; she even made her 'daddy' put a blanket in the corner of C.T.'s room and slept with her.

House walked to his piano, which he hadn't played in almost two months. There had been too much going on, mainly because of C.T. But he was okay with it. He was happy. He played a few quick melodies when the phone rang. He ignored it until it stopped ringing, but a moment later he started ringing again. He ignored that call, too and let the answering machine pick it up.

'Greg, it's Mom. Dad's had a heart attack. Meet us at PPTH, please!' She pleaded but House still didn't get up to answer the phone.

He didn't care if his father had a heart attack. There were plenty of doctors there that would take care of him. He belted out a few more tunes on the piano...

An hour later, after Cameron came to his apartment to be with C.T., House walked into PPTH and headed to the ER, where Dr. Slater had initially seen Dad House as he was brought in.

When he turned the corner where his father was lying on the examination table he stopped in his tracks. There was a tube in the back of his hand which was providing nitroglycerin in small doses to get his heart beat regular, an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and he looked pale. He was unconscious but his mother was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room.

Her eyes flew open when she saw him and she rushed to her son, who held her with his left arm as he looked at his father. She cried on his shoulder, which he hated, especially since Liz did that when she and their dad had a little 'tiff'.

"Greg, he's not doing well. His electro-cardiogram was all over the place...the doctor said..." She said but was interrupted by Dr. Slater who approached the two.

"He's somewhat stable now. Let's go outside where we can talk a bit more." He said as he escorted them into the hallway, where House helped his mother sit because she was starting to shake.

"House, Mrs. House, I won't lie to either of you. Col. House's condition worries me. His heart rhythm has stabilized but it is still sporadic. The nitroglycerin and Rosoxol aren't working as quickly as I'd like. There are a few tests I'd like to run, first."

"DR SLATER! HE'S IN CARDIAC ARREST!" A nurse hollered out from Dad House's room and he rushed in to try to revive him.

Mom House started to stand up but House grabbed her elbow which prevented her from standing. "Let's stay here." He said.

"Greg, I can't just sit here..."

"CLEAR!" Dr. Slater called out.

Mom House's attention went to the room where her husband was but a nurse had drawn the curtains.

"Still in b-fib!" A nurse cried out.

Mom House covered her mouth in horror at hearing them yell and the high-pitched whine of the defribulator.

"CLEAR!"

"Oh, Greg! No..." Mom House cried. She really tried to be brave but it was becoming more difficult.

House sat holding his mother and let her cry while his thoughts wondered off...

House walked into the examining room where his father lay. For the first time in his life, he thought his father was going to die. He looked so pale, and so weak and fragile. He had never seen his father lie in a hospital bed with all the tubes and monitors flashing his vitals.

There was so much that he wanted to tell him, to make him understand why his son was the way he was but he wasn't sure how to. His father was awake but extremely weak. House walked to the window with his back to his father.

"Greg, there's something..." Dad House started to say but his voice trailed off.

"Not now, dad." House said, turning around and looked at his father.

"No...no, I have to tell you..."

House shook his head. "Later, ok? You need your..." House started to say.

"Will you shut up and _listen_ to me?" Dad House said loudly which made his heart become erratic and he took a moment to calm down before he started talking again. House looked up at the ceiling. He didn't have any strength to argue with his father.

"Do you regret your childhood?" He asked.

House looked at him confused but gave the most honest answer he could. "Not always."

"I did the best I could, you know? I never failed to provide you with a roof over your head, clothes on your back and food on the table. Did I?"

House nodded his head without a word.

"I did all that for you and Elizabeth, but it was never enough for you two." Dad House said, taking in a deep breath because he had become a little short of breath.

House shook his head. "That's not true, Dad. You know what we always wanted from you?" He asked, not really wanting to tell his father but knew he had to.

"We wanted you home at night for supper. We wanted you home on the weekend so we could take little trips in Egypt and Germany and everywhere else. But instead there was absolutely _nothing_ for Liz and I to do but hit the streets and find us something to do."

Dad House looked at his son, taking in all that he was saying.

"Maybe we screwed up because all we wanted was attention from you, not the bad kind but just so you knew we existed. But it

ended up being more on the bad side, you know what I mean?"

"Son, is that what you think? I never gave you two enough attention?" Dad House asked surprised.

"Not the positive kind, but yes, we both did. Then you took out all of your frustrations out on Liz because she wouldn't listen to you, or so you thought. She did, you know. But sometimes she didn't want to. How can she listen to someone who she sees a couple of hours a week?"

"You two never gave me any respect..."

"That's _not_ true!" House said. "Neither of us understood you! Don't you get it?"

Dad House looked at his son speechless.

"Both Liz and I wanted to be out there, explore everything past our backyard but you had to control every single damn aspect of our lives. Why else do you think we never listened to you?"

"Greg, I was protecting you."

"From _what_? We never saw anything so how are you going to protect us?"

"All I can say is that when C.T. gets older, you'll understand what it's like to be a father." Dad House said taking in a deep breath that House knew caused him discomfort.

"Can I get you anything, Dad?" House asked, trying to hold back the tears from their words.

"Yes. Elizabeth. Where is she? Oh! There she is. Hi, honey." Dad House said, looking at the wall at the far end of the room.

House knew his father was hallucinating and it worried House. He checked the heart monitor and noticed it had become sporadic...

"Greg. Greg!" Mom House screamed in House's ear and he finally came out of his daydream. "Dad's back." She said with a smile of relief on her face.

Now, if only House can say those exact words, and Dad House say the exact words, everything would be okay between them.

Or so he thought a few days later.

Mom and Dad House were sitting in Dr. Parker's office with their son for their counseling session that had been put off a few days because of the heart attack.

"Are you sure you're up for this, Col. House?" Dr. Parker asked before the session began.

"I am quite sure." Dad House replied.

And their session began...

In the conference room, Cameron had several letters addressed to House for referral appointments sitting in front of her. Rog was putting them in stacks by order of medical importance, from 'Will Recover' to 'Might Recover' to 'Eventually Dead'.

"Rog, there's nothing wrong with this 'ED' patient! It's a bladder infection." Cameron said exasperatingly as she took the paper and moved it to the 'WR' pile.

Rog rolled his eyes as he shook his head. "Look at the BH level and chromosome count." He said, grabbing the paper and shoving it in her face to read. She frowned as she read it and nodded her head.

"Allison, what's wrong with you today? You've been kinda 'out of it'." Rog asked as he sat back in the chair and stretched. He noticed she hadn't been acting right lately but decided not to get involved, especially since three work together.

"Rog, if I ask you a question will keep it between us?" She asked.

"If it's about anyone other than House, yes." Rog said with a smile.

Cameron hesitated a moment, took a deep breath and asked, "Is Robert seeing someone else?"

That was _just_ the question Rog didn't want to hear. "I really don't know, Cam. He's never said anything to me. By the way, where are Chase and Foreman?"

"Oh, they're covering House's clinic duty because of his counseling."

"I never thought I'd hear those two words together in one sentence." Rog said as he stood up and headed for the door.

"What two words?"

"House and counseling." Rog laughed and walked out, leaving Cameron to crack a smile even after her insecurity worry about Chase.

During the same time in Dr. Parker's office…

"Dr. House, SIT DOWN!" Dr. Parker yelled at House, who been standing right in front of his father, six inches from his face, and she was afraid he would hit Dad House.

There was no help from Mom House, who became withdrawn from the conversation because she was stuck in the chair between the two men and not happy about it. After all, the two men in her life she loved more than life itself were at each other's throats. She'd hoped it would never come to this, but deep down she knew it would have, eventually.

"Let me just tell you a little bit about my childhood, in case you didn't know." Dad House said sarcastically, as if he were making a point to justify all his actions between his son and daughter.

"You know I lost my father when I was 14 and little Melvin when he was 8. It wasn't easy on Mom to raise five boys on her own, and I was sent to Uncle Mark's, who with Aunt Marsha raised me. But what you don't know is what happened before I was sent there."

Dr. Parker sat in her chair paying rapt attention on the outcome that was about to happen because she noticed Dad House seemed to be preparing to describe what his life was like before his Dad died. She could tell House didn't want to hear it because he wasn't looking at his father.

"When my brother Teddy was 10 he snuck out of the house one night and the cops brought him home. Mom and Dad had no idea he was ever out. Only after Dad died Teddy told me that dad was SO angry he hit him, leaving a mark on his cheek for two days. I found out later from Mom that Dad made her promise to discipline the boys because of hitting his son out of anger.

"So, I traipsed off on my own, so much so that Mom didn't like it at all. But then she went overboard with the discipline. One day I was off in the woods the whole day, after the ump-teenth time, and Mom had enough of me, I guess. She got a dress of cousin Martha's that she'd left at the house and made me wear it for two days. I never left the house that weekend."

House finally looked at his father out of shock and disbelief. When he looked at his mom she had tears in her eyes but they hadn't fallen down her cheeks yet. Dad House continued to talk.

"When I joined the Army I did it to have the freedom I'd always wanted, and not have to worry about living by Mother's rules and her way of discipline. But I swore to myself then that I would never do that to my children…"

"But you did anyway." House interrupted.

Dad House sadly nodded his head. "I was more overprotective with Elizabeth, I realized that after…" He hesitated a moment. "And you, damn. You turned out to be just like me."

House frowned at his father. "What was there for us to do except go out and explore? She and I learned how to be independent

early and you resent that, don't you?" House said harshly.

"I supposed I did. But you never listened to me, Greg. I tried to keep you out of trouble because I knew what the consequences were."

House wavered a moment getting his thoughts together. _'It had to be a deeper issue than that.'_ House thought.

"What do you mean you knew what the consequences were?"

"I killed a man." Dad House said, not looking at his son.

House was flabbergasted and waited for his father to give more but he didn't. "What do you mean?" He finally asked.

Dad House looked at his wife then reached and squeezed her hand. "I was 16, got in a fight with a kid over something stupid and we fist fought. We were beside a concrete barrier that blocked off some construction they were doing at school and I punched him. He went flying back, hit his head on the concrete and it killed him."

House was now sorry he asked his father to explain more but he continued to look at his father for more of the story.

"That's why I was sent to Uncle Mark's. I was expelled from school and served two years probation. When I turned 18 I joined the military." Dad House was finished and House sat in his chair, dumbfounded at the new insight to his father.

House just had one more question. In a soft voice House asked, "Do you blame yourself for Liz's death, Dad?"

Dad House looked away, and that was the answer House was looking for. He explained to his parents all that Kirsten dacosta told him about the day she sat in the car, in the garage and died.

"She was pregnant, yes, and I didn't no; she never told me. But have you ever asked yourself _why_?" House said, anger beginning to erupt from his voice.

Dr. Parker sat up straighter in her chair, ready to come between the two men if need be.

"All she was looking for was someone to love her. Oh, we were close, but love from a parent is so much different than a sibling." House stood up and walked to the window, trying to remain calm.

"And you sure as hell never gave it to her…" House was interrupted by sobs; sobs that he thought were his mother's. When he turned around, he saw that his father had leaned forward in the chair with his face in both of his hands. And he was crying.

A few hours later while his parents were at his place with C.T., he sat at the bar, alone, drinking and highly amused at himself. He finally stood up to his father, something he had never, ever been able to gain the courage to do. There were others sitting at the bar and happily chatting with their friends, discussing work, lovers, family…anything to keep their conversations going.

He sipped his Scotch and thinks of all the things he'd ever done and finally feels vindicated: for wrecking his dad's new El Dorado at 15 when he 'borrowed' the car and ended up in a ditch; for the car he stole from Arthur's Arts at 12; for lying to Lynne Mitchell that he would take her to the prom, but backed out when that hottie Tammy asked him; for hurting his mom when she found that 'oregano' hidden in his closet at 13; for not studying for the SATs like he should have.

In a nutshell, he felt vindicated for every evil, thoughtless, hurtful thing he had ever said or done in his entire 46 years of breathing. It wasn't him that made him this way; it was his father, his father's fault. His past had dictated what House's life would be.

But was he angry at his father? He wasn't sure, but he downed the rest of his Scotch, threw the money for the tab on the counter and walked out, to go home, to his place, to his daughter, to _his_ life.


	19. Chapter 19

The gang heads to Atlantic City, where House still does his medical magic!

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

TIME LAPSE: Three weeks later, the afternoon of Tuesday, May 9th

In Pine Springs, N.J., Dr. Robert Chase finally finished packing, after an hour of taking extra special care not to 'ruin' the surprises for 'his girl'. He had less than an hour to go pick her up and drive to the hospital to meet their transportation to the conference in Atlantic City, N.J.

In Rosedale, Dr. Allison Cameron sat on her bed, looked at an empty suitcase and sighed heavily. She didn't want to go, not after the way 'her guy' had been acting. Even her parents were acting funny, especially her mother.

A few weeks ago, Mom Cameron (hereto referred to as Mom C) called her niece, Toni to come visit for a few days. But she had an ulterior motive for inviting her, a motive her daughter Cameron would figure out soon enough.

FLASHBACK TWO WEEKS EARLIER:

"Allie, Toni's here!" Mom C called from the front door to Cameron, who was upstairs in the sitting area at the computer, in between doing laundry because her washing machine had broken and the apartment maintenance crew wouldn't be able to fix it for four days.

Cameron rolled her eyes and pretended not to hear her mom holler out to her. She didn't dislike Toni but she just didn't really LIKE her very much. She was crass, snotty at times, a know-it-all, opinionated, domineering, everything and more that Cameron hated in a personality trait. _'Wow, kinda sounds like House.'_ She snickered to herself.

But the funny thing was they were only 13 months apart in age, with Cameron the oldest but they could have been sisters instead of cousins. They had the same length and color hair (although Cameron adds some highlights), same shaped face, same build and some of the same mannerisms that Cameron swore Toni had copied from her. They may look alike, but she was glad she was nothing like Toni.

She lost her train of thought when she suddenly heard foot stomps on the carpeted stairs ascend in her direction and Toni appear at the top of the stairs.

"Owlie! HI! It's been so long since I've seen you!" Toni squealed as she met Cameron in a hug. Cameron closed her eyes, put on a fake smile and returned the welcome.

An hour later the girls were in the bathroom, with loads of makeup in front of them, including every shade of eye shadow ever made the past ten years. Cameron was sitting up on the edge of the counter and Toni just finished applying a moisturizer on her. That was only after Cameron had to endure 45 minutes of 'you do this this way and you do that that way…'. Cameron thought she would puck right in the toilet.

"Toni, we really don't have to do this. I've got loads of laundry to do for work and we have the conference in two weeks and…" Cameron said, trying to get out of the torture her cousin was putting her through, not necessarily because she was so busy.

"Now, Auntie Emily said I had to do this or she wouldn't leave me the pearl necklace Granny gave to her, which should have gone to my mom." Toni said snottily.

Cameron gave her a confused look then was about to tell her off when Toni said, "Oh, I can't believe I said that. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that…look, there's a reason why I'm doing this but I can't tell you why."

Cameron calmed down a bit and asked, "Why not?"

"Because it's a surprise. Now shut up and let me show you how to make you beauteous!" Toni said with a smile.

"I already look beauteous." Cameron said, suddenly relaxed and the two women giggled.

"Now, keep your eyelids closed…no, don't squint so hard…" Toni told her as she was putting on the eyeliner.

"I HAVE put on makeup before, Toni Spamoni!" Cameron shot back but said it with a smile.

"Oh, but not _my_ way, dear cousin"…

FLASHFORWARD TO THE PRESENT

In Longview, NJ, Dr. Gregory House continued to lie in bed, stared at the ceiling, procrastinating until the last possible minute he had before he had to go to PPTH. He figured if he waited long enough, he'd miss the bus Cuddy had set up so he would have to ride his bike there, which was fine and dandy with him.

Mom and Dad House had volunteered to take Charnie since their visit weeks before and would keep her most of the summer. At first he was relieved they offered, but being in the house alone, well, he had Wayni, but it wasn't Charnie. He missed her. He really missed her. He made a mental note never to let his parents take her for that long a period again.

In Edenton, NJ, Dr. James Wilson cleaned the last plate from lunch earlier that day and was drying his hands. He walked into the living room and found Sarah sitting on the couch, her head on her folded right arm and fast asleep, dead to the world. She had been that way the past month. The radiation treatments were starting to take their toll on her physically, but not mentally. She was a strong woman, and he loved her for that. And the prognosis was good, excellent even for a full recovery this time.

Little Charlie was sitting next to her happily reading a book for school. His teacher, Mrs. Maruka, gave the kids an assignment to read as many books as they could before the end of the current school year. So far, Charlie was ahead of the other students by four books, and Wilson couldn't have been more proud of his son…_their_ son.

Wilson whispered to Charlie, "Hey, bud, wanna help me with my bag?"

"Yeah! Ye…" He hollered out but his Dad sshh'd him with his finger to his mouth.

As Wilson said goodbye to Charlie on the front porch of the house he made sure to tell him how proud he was of him and that he was not worried whatsoever about leaving 'Charlie to watch over his mother.'

Charlie's little chest popped out, he got a big smirk on his face and said, "She won't get into enny twouble, Daddy, pwomise!"

A short distance from Edenton, right before Dr. Rog Nelson left for PPTH, he made sure the oven was turned off, the refrigerator was turned down to a low, acceptable temp, the water was shut off from the clothes washer, the t.v. and stereo were unplugged (in case there was a bad storm, which was the case, or so he heard, in NJ from Spring storms), the patio sliding glass door was closed, locked and secured with a wooden stick in the tracks.

Now, the last thing he had to do was set his radio in his bedroom alarm #1 for 4:00 am, set alarm #2 for 5:30 am, turn the volume up to as loud as it would go and smiled sheepishly. His stupid neighbors had been making a whole bunch of noise from parties they had during March Madness, especially when GMU played FLA. But he was only pissed at his neighbors because they were rooting for FLA, and Becka graduated from GMU, and of course GMU lost….but that was only the beginning.

What really was irking him was the three or four times a week they made 'those noises' from their bedroom and he could hear every squeal, moan, groan, you name it. But he knew they both get up at 7 am every morning, and the 4:00 and 5:30 would be just 'perfect' for getting them back.

He was so grateful House told him the exact story of how he dealt with an old roommate…when he did the same to Wilson because he was making him lose his much needed 'be nice' sleep.

Rog left his apartment and headed to PPTH, for four days of fun-filled gambling, drinking, partying, losing money gambling and the stupid ten hour conference.

"Someone _please_ remind me why I'm doing this!" He said out loud to no one near him as he walked down his front walkway.

In Carter, NJ, Foreman's bag was already packed, by Nancy, before she left for work that morning. He just loved how organized she is, but sometimes…well, sometimes she could be TOO organized. It was almost to the point of driving him insane. But, at least he never lost any books or papers or the keys or the umbrella.

Before he left for PPTH he made sure to put out the vase with three red roses on the kitchen table for her when she came home from work. But he had second thoughts after he saw it sitting there. He wasn't sure exactly WHY he was having second thoughts, or exactly WHAT he was having second thoughts about.

Dr. Lisa Cuddy sat on the curb in the parking lot of PPTH, on the West side of the building, and waited for her 'staff' to arrive so they could leave for the conference. She kept looking at her watch, sipping from her coffee that she knew she shouldn't have gotten this late in the day and grew more and more impatient.

"They are more than half an hour late! Why is it they're always on time at work but for conferences they're late!" Cuddy screamed at the driver of the minibus, who only looked at her and smiled.

"I think you forgot to get in the 'Patience' line and spent most of your time in the 'Control' line before you were born!" The man said laughing.

"Oh, shut up A.J.!" Cuddy replied then laughed herself. "I guess it'll save me from staying out all night and miss the conference

in the morning."

"There ya go, sis! Think on the bright side!" A.J. said.

Suddenly both of their attentions were drawn on a vehicle that was blasting the horn and racing toward them at a speed definitely too fast into a parking spot.

"Robert, you are SUCH an idiot!" Cameron hollered at him as he turned off the engine. She stormed out of the car, grabbed her own bag and approached Cuddy and A.J. She got in the bus without saying a word to either of them.

When Chase walked toward the bus he looked at Cuddy and said, "I think this is really going to backfire."

Cuddy looked at him concerned. "Don't worry, I'll talk to her."

"Don't you dare tell her…" Chase started to say but Cuddy interrupted him.

"I wouldn't, don't worry. Now get in, will ya!" She said authoritatively but with a smile.

A few minutes later, Wilson arrived, immediately followed by Foreman and Rog.

"Where's House?" Wilson asked Cuddy before he got on the bus when he didn't see either his bike or his mustang.

"I don't know and I don't care. We're already more than an hour late. Let's get going, A.J." Cuddy said as she looked at the faces of the passengers to make sure she had everyone she was supposed to have.

And most of the gang was now on their way to Atlantic City, NJ for what was to be a very exciting and unforgettable adventure, as was their first vacation in upstate New York.

But, hopefully no one will get shot.

They arrived at the Taj Mahal Casino and Hotel excited. Everyone was mesmerized by the sounds of the slots, people screaming in winning joy and the people walking in the lobby in every kinds of stylish clothes, from shorts and t-shirts to evening gowns, the ladies' necks with Diamond encrusted necks and bracelets walking like they owned the place; even a white mink shawl.

While it wasn't the first time in A.C. for Foreman and Cameron, it was Chase's first time. He walked directly toward the slot machines while the others stood waiting for Cuddy to the rooms.

"Chase! Hold on! We'll check into the rooms and then come back down, okay?" Foreman hollered out to him but he kept on walking.

"Let him go. This place is big enough for him to get lost in." Cameron said snottily to Foreman.

"He's _your_ boyfriend." Foreman retorted. Cameron rolled her eyes and chased Chase down.

When she caught up with him she practically had to pull him with all her strength back to the lobby. "But they're calling my name! I wanna play!" Chase whined like a little kid in a candy store.

"Chase, you might not want to gamble while we're here." Cuddy said with a laugh as she approached them with the keys in her hand.

"I don't have a problem with gambling." Chase told her with a slight blush.

"You sure as hell do! You decided to work for House, didn't you?" Foreman asked laughing, but the others didn't join in. He looked at them confused until he noticed their gaze was drawn behind him and turned to see House giving him a death glare.

"Thanks for covering for me." Foreman said to his coworkers.

"Hey, we tried to warn you." Cameron said with a smile.

"Oh, I just thought you guys were having a seizure." Foreman shot back.

"Chase, I think you are running late for your Gambler's Anonymous meeting!" House teased.

"Oh, that's not til tomorrow morning." Foreman answered for Chase.

"Ok, just one rule: whatever is said or done here stays here." House said.

"That's Vegas, House. But the hookers are all booked here, your loss." Wilson told him.

Cuddy changed the subject real quick and said, "Okay, you and Foreman are sharing a room handing Rog a key , this is yours and Cameron's handing the key to Chase , here's yours and Wilson's handing the key to Wilson, even though House tried to grab it ..."

"You've got one key left, and I assume that's your _private_ room? How come I don't get a private room?" House asked Cuddy seriously.

"Because I'm the boss." She said flatly. House bent his head in defeat. "Okay, let's go. We can get some serious gambling in before we have to get to bed for the conference tomorrow." She said as she started walking down the lobby toward the elevators.

"She only gets out every two years." House said with a snicker as he handed Rog his duffle bag. He looked at him startled because he was carrying Cuddy's bag already, but he managed with all three bags. When they reached the elevators everyone turned left but House.

Cameron stopped, turned, looked at him and said, "House, the elevators are this way."

"I don't need a babysitter." House snapped, not turning around to face her. "I've got a date with a horse named Joyous Jazz in 15 minutes."

"I'm not going to spend the night chasing you down, House. You're on your own." Wilson told him.

"Great! Just what I wanted." He said as he turned the corner and disappeared out of view.

"Let him go. Maybe he'll get lost." Cuddy snickered as the elevator doors opened and they all piled in.

Cameron and Chase entered their suite and she commented on the decor: Indian style headboard over the king sized bed, jacuzzi in the bathroom and even the toiletries. Chase put their bags on the floor by the armoire and looked out the window.

"Allie, we have a view of the oceanfront."

Cameron seemed excited and ran to the window, smiling as she saw the seagulls fly around lit by the bright lights from the hotel and boardwalk. Her shoulder brushed up against his and she quickly backed away from him, throwing herself on the bed.

"Do you want to go downstairs?" She asked him, hoping he would to leave her to take a nice soak in the jacuzzi.

"Not really." He said as he sat down next to her. "Allison, what have I done to make you so angry with me?" He finally asked.

"Oh, beside the fact that you're keeping secrets from me, been ordering me around, driving like a maniac and whispering behind my back, nothing, really." She said snottily.

Chase chuckled, which only seemed to make her angrier. "Fine, I'll go downstairs for a while and _you_ stay up here." She said as she stood up and headed for the door.

He caught up with her at the door and stood in her way. "Robert, let me go!"

"No, I don't want this trip ruined by you being mad at something that isn't...look, Allie, I'm not doing anything behind your back. It's just a little surprise, but you have to wait for Thursday."

She squinted her eyes at him, as if that would drain his thoughts to her brain and she'd know what his problem was. "Robert, you know I don't like surprises." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But it's a good surprise, babe. Don't you trust me?"

House sat in the Horse Racer's Addicts Parlor, a smallish room with little cubicles for one person to sit with a small t.v. screen in each, with six bigger screens on the wall before them.

He was discouraged and pissed off, not to mention drunk. Joyous Jazz won him $1,200, but then he had a hunch on TendaLindaBinda, which he only succeeded in losing that bet. But he told himself there was _no way_ HailGal was going to lose, but she did, 'the damn dog food!' And then the jockey on LingBling recorded a three pound weight loss and he _knew_ he couldn't lose. But he cursed out loud when that horse came in fourth. But at least he got free drinks, and he enjoyed the drinks more than he enjoyed playing the horses.

At 11:30 he decided to head up to bed, even though he wasn't quit ready to. He walked through the casino, busier than he thought it would be on a Tuesday night. As he grudgingly limped by one particular Roulette table something caught his eye, or ears, really, from all the screaming. The dealer was just handing a player a huge mound of chips and he figured playing $100 wouldn't hurt. He reached in, took two Vicodin then threw a hundred on the table.

"What do you want, Sir?" The dealer asked, eyeing his leg.

"A new leg." He told her.

She looked at him then a smile slowly grew on her face. "Ones, nickels, what?"

"Nickels. The blue ones. Blue is my lucky number." He said with a smirk as he noticed her blue fingernail polish as he sat down in a high bar stool chair.

She smiled at him again as she grabbed the blue chips and pushed them toward him. "Place your bets, please." She said as she watched the three at the table place their bets.

House played $10 on 19, Charnie's birthday. The dealer spun the wheel and House never kept his eyes off the wheel. The little white ball landed on 36. House grunted as the man beside him screamed right in his ear. House gave him a dirty look as the man jumped excitedly and high-fived his friend standing next to him.

The next roll he played $10 on 20, for no particular reason. The man beside him played several numbers, including 19. The dealer cried out "No more bets" as she waved her hand over the numbers. The ball landed on ... 19.

"Damnit!" House screamed as the man's screaming drowned him out. "You know, if you keep screaming like that you'll bust your vocal cords. It's a proven fact."

The man looked at him funny then said, "Not according to my medical research I did at Harvard."

"Harvard is Law." House corrected as he placed two chips on 36; that's how old he was when he met Stacy.

"Yeah, well, I lied." The man told him as he placed his own chips on several numbers on the table, including 20.

"Oh, you must have read my thesis at Princeton." House snickered as he watched the dealer twist the ball around the dome of the wheel.

"Princeton is law, too, dude."

House had enough of the pip-squeak little punk and paid no more attention to him.

"No more bets." The dealer cried out.

The ball spun around the wheel as a waitress walked by, crying out, "Beverage, coffee..."

House interrupted her call by ordering a scotch, no ice, two straws. She smiled at him, wrote down his drink and walked away.

He played two more spins and lost them both, except for the man next to him. House looked as the man's pile of chips and silently cursed at him for having so many while he had only $50 left. The waitress walked by, put a napkin in front of House and placed his drink on it. She stood there a moment, waiting for a tip, but when he felt her still standing there he turned around and said, "Thanks." She stormed off.

He got brave the next two spins and played $5 each on 3 and 36 again. He watched the ball spin and when the ball landed on 3 his eyes flew open.

"YES!" He screamed out.

"Nice one." The dealer said as she placed the clear pentagon-shaped peg on his chip, removed the loser ones and handed him $180 in chips, which he set aside from his original bet.

All of a sudden he felt light headed but threw a chip on number 19, once again, and for the last time that night. The dealer hollered good luck and flicked the ball to circle the wheel. At the last moment House threw his remaining two chips on 19, bent his head down, held his breath and waited for the dealer to say anything but 19.

"19!" She called out, and House looked up like he hadn't really heard her say the number he bet on. A wide smile grew as he watched her put the clear peg on his three chips.

"Nice win, Sir. $1,050!" She called out then the Manager came over and watched her count out the chips.

"Cash me out." House said as he pointed to the $180 already in front of him.

A few minutes later House walked toward the six elevators in a happier mood than he did when he walked out of the Horse Parlor. He pressed the 'up' button and waited for one of the doors to open. When it did, he limped in and leaned against the side as the doors closed. He looked at the floor panel to hit 17 but there was no 17. He frowned, looked at the other side of the elevator to see if his floor was on that panel, but it wasn't. He knew he was drunk, but not _that_ drunk.

He cursed loudly and tried to think what he had to do to get to his floor. '_Get to the next floor and get back on…but on this one? Oh, hell.'_ He thought to himself.

When he finally figured out that he was on the express elevator, he chuckled to himself and hit the floor closest to his. He got out and waited for the door to close so he could get on another elevator to take him to his floor. When another set of doors opened he got on, but not before checking the floor panel had the floor he was staying on.

House finally reached the room he was sharing with Wilson and only then remembered Wilson had the key. He put his hand over the peephole and knocked loudly with his cane. There was no answer. He knocked again, and thought he heard some moans and groans from the room next to his and prayed it wasn't who he thought it was.

He knocked again and again and again, and by now his head was starting to hurt. After five minutes he figured Wilson was down in the casino and he wasn't about to go chasing him around. So, he leaned against the wall and slowly slouched down.

About ten minutes later Foreman and Rog were walking down the hall toward House, who had his head against the wall and was flailing his cane like a magician.

"House! Lock yourself out of the room?" Rog asked as he snickered.

"No, I'm waiting for room service because I'm _really_ hungry. Here's your sign." House answered. "Actually, I won $1,230! How much did _you_ two win?"

"I won $420 on blackjack and Rog won $250 on slots." Foreman said as he reached for his key.

"Those are girlie gam..." House started to say.

Just then they heard the door handle click and Wilson slowly opened the door. "Do you two mind? People are trying to sleep." 

House peered up at him with a snotty look and slowly stood up. "Our neighbors aren't sleeping. I've been listening to them for the past 15 minutes." House said as he walked in the door.

"Uh, Chase and Cameron are next door..." Wilson started to say.

"Please, I don't want to even _think_ about it. So, where's the hookers?" House asked as he walked to one of the double beds.

"I don't need a hooker, I've got Sarah." He said as he got into bed. "Nite, House. I am _not_ waking you up in the morning."

"Yes you will. You'll have to dry your hair and clip your nails and make noise making breakfast, oh, darnit!" House said as he laughed, walking into the bathroom to get ready for bed. Wilson turned the light off over his bed and was asleep in seconds.

House walked back into the room and sat in bed. "I was thinking about going to that Gentleman's Club, Donna's Doilies, tomorrow night after dinner. Wanna go?"

When Wilson didn't answer he looked over at his friend, who was out like a night. He hated that about Wilson, he could go to sleep quickly while House always tossed and turned for a good hour before he finally dozed off. He reached for the remote, turned on the t.v. and ordered a movie, a good movie, one that reminded him of Donna's.

Greg is a little kid of about six playing alone in his backyard, which is the way he likes it. There is no one to order him around, or yell at him to clean this or clean that. He reveled in his 'alone time', especially lately, because his mom is expecting their second child any day now.

Mom House was surprised how hard her son seemed to be taking the new arrival, so to compensate months earlier she talked Dad House into allowing Greg to have a pet. But unfortunately for Greg, the only pet his father let him have was a rabbit, basically because it could be kept as far away from the house as could be, and Greg had no argument to say about that, nope, not at all.

When he's done chasing the ball away from himself he heads to the fence to the two tall trees, where between them are smaller bushes. Sitting on thin wooden legs is a wooden cage, a cage that Dad House built to keep the rabbit away foxes, stray cats and such. Of course, Dad House wouldn't let Greg live down the 'hassle and inconvenience' he put his father through.

After he finds some good, dark green, long grass for 'The Lone Ranger', he throws out the used straw and uneaten grass and refills his water bottle with old rain water (again, his father wouldn't allow regular tap water to be used on 'dinner.'). As the Lone Ranger is happily nibbling on his new munchie, Greg sits down in front of the cage and watches him eat.

Greg is, and has always been (for a kid of six), fascinated about what makes things tick, like how his whiskers move on their own when it eats, where does the food go and the like. He notices the Lone Ranger's stomach, like it has really expanded the past few days, and it piqued his curiosity. Greg gets closer and closer to the metal cage front, closer…and…

Lone Ranger stops eating and hops a few steps to Greg's nose, where he flicks up his nose and smells what else 'Dad Greg' has for him. The tickling of its whiskers almost makes Greg sneeze but he holds it in. More tickling, but it's becoming more irritating now…tickling…tickling…

Greg wipes his nose with the back of his hand and notices it feels wet, glooby, funny, nothing like the way the back of a hand should feel…tickling…tickling…

He wipes his nose again and something gets up his nose……………..

House is awakened with something foamy in his nose and it still itched. He opened his eyes and saw Wilson sitting on the other bed staring him down, with no smile on his face. He looked at the back of his hand, which is whipped cream. House's head flopped back down on the pillow and a smile slowly grew on his face.

"Hey, it was _you_ that told me we should have some 'college' pranks between us! I just couldn't think of any when I was at your place." Wilson said as he stood up. "You have 20 minutes to get ready for the conference. Meet you downstairs."

House groaned under his breath, slowly stood up and headed for the bathroom, the first place a man goes as soon as he gets out of bed. He took his time to brush his teeth, ran his fingers through his hair to "wash it", checked for blackheads and/or pimples, grabbed clean clothes, changed and headed out the door…

…almost running into Rog as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey, Dr. House!" Rog said, almost sounding drunk.

"My, Dr. Nelson, I see you've had an early date this morning." He said as he started to walk down the hall.

"Can you hold up for me! I just need to grab something and we can go down together." Rog said as he put his key in the door and it closed behind him.

House almost had a mind to keep on walking, but he had somehow gained a little patience with Rog, and by little, that's actually .002 of patience he had for Rog, which was an improvement from the first time he met him.

A half hour later, the two men plus Cameron, Chase, Foreman, Cuddy and Wilson sat at a table in the conference room for the seminar, looking like they'd all had less than an hour's sleep, which wasn't the case. Cameron just finished her third cappuccino, which resulted in her rapidly shake her left leg, so hard that the silverware was clinking together and the flower vase in the center of the table was slowly turning on its own. Foreman reached out to put his hand on her knee, pressing down very hard, to make her stop shaking. But that only resulted in her thumbing her fingers on the table which was beginning to get stares from others at tables around them.

The man approaching the podium looked familiar to House, but he couldn't quite place his face. The man stood behind it, adjusted the microphone, tapped it once and said, "Good, it's still working." The man said.

'_Oh, man! He's the man at the Roulette table last night. Moron.'_ House thought to himself and fought to crack a sarcastic smile.

"My name is Dr. Walter Cleaver-Jones…" The man started to say.

"Everyone, it's Beaver's brother!" Cameron shouted out, louder than she thought then bust out laughing. She wasn't fazed by the glances, especially from Chase.

"Cameron, cool it." Chase warned her.

"As I was saying, I am Dr. Cleaver-Jones, head surgeon at D.C. General in Washington, D.C…."

"Pffttt! Isn't that supposed to be Denver Colorado General? Is that what D.C. stands for? DUH!" Cameron blurted out.

"Cameron, what the hell is that matter with you?" Cuddy said very embarrassed.

"Nothing. Awesome cappuccino! You need to get one!" She said, bursting out laughing.

"Please, Dr. Mathers, continue." Cuddy said, kicking Cameron semi-softly under the table but Foreman cried out, "Ow!"

"Sorry, Foreman." Cuddy whispered, and prayed the seminar was over. She would expect behavior like this from House, but not from Cameron. She'd never seen anyone OD on cappuccino before, and knew she'd be down from her high very, very shortly.

An hour later, Dr. Cleaver-Jones (thankfully) left the podium after spending all that time referring to statistics on heart failure and prognosis of cardiac distress and percentage rates of recovery and trial medications. At this point, Cameron's head was resting on Chase's shoulder and she couldn't keep her eyes open.

"Chase, why don't you take her upstairs to sleep off the caffeine high." Cuddy said as there was a 15 minute intermission just announced.

"I think that's a real good idea." He said as he helped her up, grabbed her purse and carried her out of the room.

House was about to leave, too, when he saw 'Wallie Cleaver' approach the group at the table.

"Hello, everyone. I thought you looked familiar, Dr. House." He said as he extended his hand. "Nice win last night."

Cuddy looked at him confused and House told her, "I won the lottery."

She introduced everyone at the table, who immediately excused themselves and left Cuddy and House with 'Wallie Cleaver.'

"So, what did you think of the speech?" Dr. Cleaver asked as he smiled arrogantly to a woman who walked by and said hello.

"Well, on the terms of having a rectal exam and your speech I'd say..." House started to say but Cuddy interrupted him.

"It was very enlightening." Cuddy said, trying to sound sincere.

Thankfully, House's pager went off, and a second later Cuddy's went off.

"1704...911?" Cuddy said.

"It's the room next to mine."

A few minutes later House and Cuddy walked into Chase and Cameron's room.

"What's goin..." Cuddy started to say until she saw Cameron passed out on the bed, sweating profusely.

"I wanted you to see her before we called an ambulance." Chase said.

House walked immediately to Cameron and felt the vein in the inside of her wrist and frowned in concern. "Her heartbeat is too fast and she's breathing to heavily. How much coffee did she have this morning?"

"Just at breakfast. When I was bringing her up here she said she was nauseous and she was sweating and she vomited."

"Cameron...Cameron..." House said, smacking her cheek to get her to come around, but she only mumbled.

"Go ahead and call." Cuddy said. "I'll cancel the reservations for you."

An hour later House, Cuddy and Chase were in the waiting room of the England General Hospital on Pacific Ave; House was standing against the wall while the other two sat in chairs. Chase leaned forward with his face in his hands to hide his fear over Cameron's condition. All Cuddy could do was pat his back, to hopefully reassure him she'd be fine, but she wasn't all that sure herself. She called her parents, who wanted to come but she said she'd call them when they knew something. Cuddy just thought Cameron had an adverse reaction to the caffeine.

But Cuddy didn't understand how she reacted that way because Cameron had always been healthy and she never had any medical issues when she was younger, as House pointed out. The attending doctor came out of the exam room and walked toward the three.

"We've given her Adenosine to slow her heart rate and it is coming down, but not as quickly as we want. She's still unconscious but she came around briefly." He looked at Chase. "Are you her boyfriend?"

Chase nodded but remained silent. "May I speak with you for a moment?"

House and Cuddy watched them walk down the hallway and wondered what was going on that he couldn't tell the three of them.

"I know." House said arrogantly.

Cuddy shot him a look like she wanted to smack him. "And what is wrong with her?"

"She's anorexic." He simply said, and the look on Cuddy's face was that of disbelief.

"No, no way. She's never shown any symptoms. Besides, I would kno..." Cuddy said then had to force herself to shut up.

"Did you call the others?" Cuddy asked while they waited for Chase to return.

House nodded his head. "They're taking notes." He said trying to be funny and Cuddy noticed it, but she couldn't find the strength to laugh.

Chase finally walked back toward them and looked paler than he did before, which is white as a sheet for him being Austrailian.

"How is she, really?" Cuddy asked as he sat back down beside her.

"She's anorexic." Chase said. "But I don't believe it. She's not all skin and bones. She's thin, yeah, but..."

"Robert, someone suffering from anorexia doesn't have to be all that thin. If she's been at a consistent low weight for long periods of time it'll put a strain on her heart, which apparently the caffeine kicked off that reaction." Cuddy told him and he looked at her curious, but didn't ask any more questions.

A few minutes later a nurse walked out and told Chase he could see her but for just a moment. They wanted to keep her in over night to keep an eye on her.

Chase's heart was pounding when he pushed back the curtain and saw his girl lying on the gurney, wires coming out from the white gown they changed her into and the monitor beeping her heart rate, which indeed was too fast for his tastes. He took a deep breath and walked toward her. He reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly in his, brushing the hair away from her neck.

"Allie, why didn't you tell me?" Chase said. "whyyy..."

Just then he heard a groan from her throat and noticed she was trying to open her eyes. "Baby, I'm here. It's your Snuffle-up-agus."

"Rawww..." She mumbled and her eyes finally fluttered open. "Wha..."

"Shhh." Chase said with a smile. "Glad to see you awake." He said as he leaned in and kissed her lips.

"You ruined everything." He said as he held her hand closer to his chest.

"Get out." She said as she turned her head away from him and tried to free her hand from his.

"Oh, Allie. Wait a sec..." He said as he reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out something in a little black box.

She frowned at him at first but when he slowly opened the box her eyes flew open wide.

"Rober..." She mumbled and tried to catch her breath.

"Allison, you've been the only one that I can ever imagine us in our 60s, sitting in rocking chairs on the front porch, watching the grandkids playing in the front yard and holding hands...will you marry me?"

She squeezed his hand and smiled then closed her eyes tightly. "Robert, there's...something...I need..."

"I know, baby, I know. I want to be with you every step of the way. I don't want you to go through it alone."

"No, no, damnit." She said, looking away from him.

"Allison, I don't understand."

She finally turned back and looked at him then said, "Koala, I'm pregnant."

A few minutes later, Chase walked out of Cameron's room looking very gloomy. Chase looked at Cuddy as she stood up and watched him sit down. At first she didn't know what to say.

"Chase, is she still awake?" She asked.

He didn't say a word but only shook his head as he threw his head against the wall and closed his eyes. They had been in this situation before, only Chase didn't know she was pregnant the first time. But after that happened he knew, deep down, that he could handle having the baby, and looked forward to it. But the complication of her being anorexic was a different story. A life threatening knife in the back, of which he could handle. Losing the baby, he'd gotten over that before. But, losing Cameron, that, and that alone, he knew he couldn't handle.

Cuddy silently walked into Cameron's room and stood at the side of the bed. Cameron opened her eyes and looked up at her with deep, sad eyes.

"How are you feeling?"

Cameron shrugged her shoulders. "I'm not sure."

"The doctor said you can be released tomorrow, and you are excused from the seminar." She said as she reached out and patted the top of Cameron's hand.

Cameron didn't say a word, as Cuddy knew she wouldn't. If it were House that were let off he would have been

miraculously cured.

"Allison, he's also very concerned about your weight."

She frowned then said, "Wow, what ever happened to patient confidentiality?"

"You work with House. You should be used to it." Cuddy said with a smile, trying to add a bit of levity in the situation. "There are treatments that you can join and I can help you."

Again Cameron frowned, not fully understanding what Cuddy was referring to.

"When I was in college I was bulimic. It took a mild heart attack for me to..." She started to say.

"Dr. Cuddy, I'm not anorexic."

"Not according to your low red blood count and the damage to the lining of your stomach." She pointed out. "Chase cares about you. You're not in this alone."

"Yes, I am." She said then corrected herself. "I've got a baby to worry about now."

For a brief millisecond Cuddy looked surprised, but then, considering how long she and Chase had been together she wasn't.

"We'll talk when we get back, okay? Get some rest." Cuddy said as she started to turn away.

"Dr. Cuddy?" Cuddy stopped and faced Cameron again. "Were you really bulimic?"

She looked at her doctor and shook her head. "House helped me out of it. He was there when I had the heart attack. If it weren't for him I would have died."

Later that evening, House was sitting on the double bed by the window and looked out over the ocean, watching the seagulls fly about in the pre-Summer winds that kicked up the surf. He'd been waiting for Wilson to come back up from the casino after the seminar broke up so they could go out to dinner. Not that he wanted to. He really wanted to go to Donna's Doilies for the women, but for some reason he was no longer in the mood to go.

His eyes grew heavier from the calmness of watching the birds and he'd just closed them when the door burst open and Wilson loudly came in.

"House! I did it again! After winning the benefit I just _creamed_ them at Texas Hold 'Em!" He said excitedly as he headed for the closet, grabbed a clean shirt and jeans and headed for the bathroom.

"It was _brilliant_! I had nothing but an ace high, the river was about to be turned and the jerk went all in!" He said as he walked back into the room in the new changed clothes.

"I knew he was bluffing because he always rubbed his nose out of nervousness. And I called him! He had sweat pouring down from his bald head! I made him wait like five minutes before I called him, just to make him sweat some more! $478! The last card was an ace, and all he had was a pair of treys!" He said with a laugh.

"Uh, you owe me half of that." House said as he sat up, popped a couple of Vicodin and put his legs over the bed.

"Excuse me! I don't think so!"

"Who taught you how to play, and how to read people?" House asked arrogantly.

"I won from the skill I've obtained from experience and knowledge because I'm GOOD like that!" Wilson said

seriously with no smile on his face.

House looked at him like he'd completely gone insane. Then Wilson burst out laughing and House joined him.

"Come on, everyone's waiting downstairs for dinner. We're going to the Showboat because Cuddy said they had the best buffet there. And Chase is going back to be with Cameron for a while."

An hour later the gang was sitting around a large table with plate after plate for each of them. Either they were hungry because they were bored from the seminar or they were working up an appetite to gamble all night.

Rog asked how Cameron was doing but House remained silent. Cuddy filled everyone in on her condition, minus the anorexia and pregnant part, but said she'd be fine. The gang seemed relieved then happily shoved more food in their mouths.

"Okay, I'm off!" Foreman said as he stood, still chewing the last of the chocolate cake he had.

"Do ya _think_ you can wait for us so we can all go together?" Cuddy asked.

"Oh, you mean so you can steal all of our money, right?" House corrected.

"No, just _your_ money. I still have $1,000 to get back from you."

"Come on, Rog." Foreman said as House shot Rog a curious look.

"Oh, you need your little good luck charm?" House teased.

"No. He needs me to help him get women." Rog said as he stood up and put $1 on the table for the waitress who brought their drinks.

Foreman laughed but then headed for the exit.

"What are you going to do, Wilson, with all that money you won earlier?" House asked as he also stood up but didn't bother putting a tip for the waitress.

"I thought I'd take both of your monies and take Sarah and Charlie to Cape Cod for the summer." Wilson said confidently as the three walked out of the restaurant.

"Oh, you think so, huh?" House asked, almost at the same time as Cuddy did.

"Well, we'll see about that." Cuddy added.

While Cameron slept, Chase sat at the side of her bed, holding her hand in his and watching her sleep. Then, and only then, did he really notice how pale her complexion had gotten, and how her eyes looked like they were beginning to turn black. But why hadn't he ever noticed how thin she was when he held her? He felt partly responsible. What kind of boyfriend was he to not notice? The more he thought about it, the worse he started to feel.

As he felt his eyes get heavier and heavier, he cradled his arm with hers and put his chin on his elbow. And was fast asleep within minutes.

Wilson, House and Cuddy walked into the 'real' poker hall, which was one big room with a security guard at the entrance and several walking around the many tables. They checked to see if any of the tables had three tables available, then they checked out the dealers. House wanted a hot female dealer, Cuddy wanted a hot male dealer and all Wilson wanted was to win as big as he did earlier.

"No way! Her teeth look like they haven't been brushed in years." House moaned as he started to walk away from a table that the other two had shown interest in.

"House. Come on, it's the only table with three chairs." Cuddy said and sat down at the seat on the end, with House and Wilson following suit.

He reluctantly sat down in a chair next to Wilson, but there were two players between them and Cuddy. And Cuddy preferred it that way because she could keep both eyes on the men just in case House decided to make poor betting moves when he knew Cuddy was bluffing, or did have a hot hand.

The dealer took her sweet time shuffling the deck after she exchanged their money for chips, which was fine with House because she may have had bad teeth, but she was overflowing in the cleavage department.

"Ok, I know all of your little tricks, both of yours! So, you better watch it. You may have gotten me before, Wilson, but not this time!" Cuddy said threatening as she threw in the ante of $10.

Rog sat in the chair at the blackjack table and for the past hour he had been flirting with a red-head who was alone; well, she wasn't alone, but her friend was playing Texas Hold 'Em and she didn't like that game.

Foreman was over by the slot machines, but had a clear view of Rog's table. He also had been talking with a woman, who seemed to be about 18. He told himself he wasn't going to let anything happen because he had Nancy at home, but she was so darn gorgeous.

"We're leaving Friday. But I could stay an extra few days." He told her, but then thought of Nancy and inwardly kicked himself. "I meant it's just getting warm now and...and..." He stuttered, trying to calm himself down before he scared Shalene.

"Well, it's only 10. What's your friend like? We both _love_ to dance." She said as she looked in Rog's direction.

"I think Rog would like s a date."

Shalene thought a moment. "Well, let's get out of here!" She said as she grabbed her bucket of quarters. "I'll meet you at his table." She said as he nodded and she she walked off.

Foreman excitedly walked to Rog's table and patted him hard on the shoulder. Rog jumped and almost spilled his drink but caught it in time.

"Hey, you're getting quicker. You haven't spilled anything since we've been here." Foreman said with a laugh.

"Oh, we still have two more days." Rog said. "What's up? Who's that girl you were talking to?" He asked as he waved his hand over his Q and 9 so the dealer wouldn't give him another card.

"She's cashing out and we're going dancing."

Rog frowned at him. "And what about Nancy?" He asked as he clapped, yelled 'yes' and pulled the four winning chips to his pile.

"I ain't bringing her back to the room! And hey, we're going to get her girlfriend."

"Then if she has a girlfriend why are we...OH! Never mind." Rog said with a cute laugh and pushed his chips to the dealer.

Back at the poker table with Cuddy, House and Wilson, things were getting very tense. House hadn't spoken the past 15 minutes, Cuddy was completely drunk off her cranberry juice and vodka and Wilson talking to the woman sitting next to him. She looked to be about 19 or 20, but 21 was the legal age limit to

gamble so he knew she had to have been older than that.

He fought the urge to flirt with her, and since he had Sarah, his love for her was greater than taking the risk of flirting with anyone. But he had noticed House eyeing her and couldn't help laughing to himself. The funny thing was she was eyeing him, too.  
But the looks they shared were only when it was down to her and House and the river left. And each time she wiped him out.

House had about $100 left, and the ante was now up to $20. He was getting stiff and knew he had to stop and stretch his leg but he wouldn't without taking all of the girl's money. Cuddy was up, but not by much. And Wilson...well, his confidence wasn't up as much as it was at the charity poker event.

Shalene, Foreman and Rog walked through the hall to get to the poker area and they passed a window that caught Rog's eye. Behind the shiny, lit window was a Scrabble board. The board itself was marble with diamond accents, and the letter pieces beside it were marble with gold encrusted letters.

"Oh, man! That is awesome!" Rog exclaimed.

"Rog, that's $1200!" Foreman said, as Shalene suddenly looked at Rog in a whole new light.

"What time...oh! Five minutes! I have to have that!" Rog said as he rushed into the store.

"Rog! How in the hell can you afford that?" Foreman asked as the two followed him in.

Rog didn't answer them, told the woman he wanted the Scrabble board and she smiled widely.

"You do know it's $1200?" The woman asked, looking at Rog like he wasn't serious.

He grinned sheepishly, reached into his pocket and pulled out a boat-load of crisp, unbent 100 bills. Foreman's eyes flew open.

"Will this cover it?" Rog asked the woman, who shook her head, still smiling and went to the back to get a new game.

Rog turned and looked at Foreman and said, "Blackjack has always been my game." Suddenly Foreman gained a new respect for his coworker.

The three left the shop with Rog walking with a pep in his step. They walked toward the poker area, and Foreman was getting a little nervous. He knew the three were playing and he just didn't want to see House at the moment, but he continued to follow her to a table with three familiar faces.

"Okay, little girlie, how much you got left?" House asked the girl rather menacingly. Again, it was down to House and her and he was determined as never before to finally beat her with his straight that he already had.

"Depends. Why don't you just go all in and I will call you." The girl said, looking at her girlfriend with two strangers. "Hey, Shay! I'm almost done after I take this man's money."

The three stood around the table watching the final match between the woman and House. Foreman secretly wished House would lose. The girl looked at her chips, pushed all $420 into the pot, and said, "You have to call me to see 'em."

"You don't scare me." He said, as he counted out the $420 in chips and only had $50. "I raise you fifty." House said defiantly.

"Uh, you can't do that, Sir. Not since she's gone all in." The dealer said.

House looked at her and gave her a dirty look. "Spoil sport." He told her and threw out his King and Ace with a smirk and she returned the sentiment by laying her own cards down, a pair of Queens. House squirmed in his chair.

"Nervous?" The girl asked but he didn't respond.

"You just have trip Queens. That doesn't beat a straight." House said smugly.

As the 10, Jack, Three and Queen lay quietly on the table, the dealer set three new cards aside and laid the river on the table. House's eyes flew open, the girl screamed, "Gotcha!" and everyone cheered, for the girl, of course.

"Uh, I think you just went down with the boat...a full boat. Or full house? Is that what they call it, Shay?" She said, winking at her girlfriend.

"Way to go, Isabella!" Shalene said and hi-fived her friend.

"Unbelievable!" House said as he sat back in his chair as Isabella reached for the chips and gave House a wink.

"What'cha got there, Rog?" Cuddy asked as she took the last sip of her drink and slurped it a bit too much, making it loud and long.

"A Scrabble board! It's great! I'll show it to you later." Rog said.

"But for now, Izzy, we're going dancing!" Shalene said excitedly. She introduced Isabella to Rog.

"Uh, I can't dance. Bad leg." House said as he stood up and stretched.

"Uh, I wasn't talking about _you_ coming." Shalene said snottily but with a smile.

"I'm gonna have to take this up to the room." Rog said as he lifted up the bag.

"Let's make this even better. I have $850 to get back from _you two._ Let's play naked Scrabble." House said.

"House, we still have the second part of the medical conference tomorrow morning. I think us old foagies need to get to..." Cuddy started to say.

"Who you calling an old foagie?" House snapped. "Chicken?"

"Are all you guys doctors?" Isabella asked in surprise.

Wilson stood up, said 'yes' and pushed in his chair. "This old foagie _is_ going to bed." He announced.

"What do you say, Eric? Izzy and I suck at Scrabble." She said with a teasing smile, then leaned into Foreman's ear and whispered, "I think Izzy likes Rog."

"Foreman, really, I don't wanna be late either. It's already 11:30." Rog said, totally not getting that Izzy had snuck up on him and stood very, very close to him.

"Come on. An hour won't kill anyone." Foreman said as the group walked out of the poker area.

Thirty minutes later Shalene, Isabella, Foreman and Rog were just getting settled at the small, round table in Chase and Cameron's room.

"What if Chase comes back?" Rog asked nervously. "This _is _ their room."

"Rog, will ya calm down!" Foreman said as Shalene sat next to him in the two available chairs and Isabella sat close

to Rog on the end of the bed, a little _too_ close. Rog nervously scooted over, and she sensed it. She huffed a little bit and sat Indian style while giving Shalene a 'what the hell are we doing here?' look.

"Okay, so, what are the rules?" Shalene asked Rog, as he got up and poured a round of Tequila.

"Easy." He said as he carefully removed the board and pieces from the box. "I made up these rules in college. Everyone makes their normal word plays, and after every 50 points, the person with the least points has to remove something OR take a shot of Tequila."

"Sounds good to me!" Shalene said as she winked at Foreman.

"Oh, wait. And if anyone challenges someone's play and it proves to be a word that will be _two_ items of clothing." Rog said, handing out the bag of marble letters to be picked to see who plays first, which, as it turned out, was Shalene.

While the others shuffled their letters around, Shalene quickly laid out G-A-S. It took all Rog had not to burst out laughing. _'Well, she _said_ they weren't very good. Guess they didn't lie.'_ He thought to himself and wrote down her score.

Then it was Isabella's turn, who laid out T-R-O-I-T-I-S behind the G-A-S. Foreman and Rog both shot her a look as she announced "48 points". Foreman gave Shalene a teasing look while Rog swallowed hard and nervously.

"That's only two more points I need, Eric. You know what that means?" Shalene asked as she checked to make sure Rog wrote the right number.

"Rog, I think we've been duped!" Foreman said as he laid the letters R-E-N-O-V-A-T-E. "Hmm, that's 49 points, Missie! "You know what _that_ means." He said playfully to Shalene, trying to imitate what she'd just told him.

Immediately following there was a loud banging on the wall from the next room, the room where Wilson and House were, but everyone ignored it.

Rog kept shuffling his letters for a good five minutes, and the three started to hoot and holler to get him to hurry. He grinned sheepishly and laid out the letters A-S-P-E-R-I-T-Y.

Now it was Shalene's turn and she quickly placed P-A-T-I-E-N-T. "Ok, Rog. I'm officially over 50 points. Who has the least points?" She asked then leaned forward to read that it was Isabella.

"But that's no fair! I've only had one turn." She cried out and again there was a thud on the wall.

"Rules are rules!" Rog said. "That'll be one item of clothing, please." Isabella stood up and tossed her 3-inch heel toward the wall, smacking it right back the exact place the banging came from.

A few more rounds pass by, a few shots of Tequila for everyone playing, and a few articles of clothing were thrown across the floor. Rog being the most sober and Isabella the most drunk. Foreman challenged Shalene with C-U-N-I-E-F-O-R-M. He knew it was a word but also knew it was spelled wrong. It should have been cunEIform, but she insisted it was spelled right. The four got into a lighthearted argument and there was more hard and loud banging coming from the adjoining room.

"Oh, I've had enough of this!" Foreman said as he stood up and walked to the door, his shirt off but with pants still on.

Right before he reached for the door handle there was a knock on the door and Foreman opened it, expecting to see Chase. But it was House, and not looking too happy.

"Hiiii, bawsssse!" Foreman said, slurring his words because he was starting to get drunk himself.

House looked over Foreman's shoulder to see Shalene partially clad and Isabella, who was still completely dressed, as was Rog.

"Oh, I bet I can tell who is winning." House said, not removing his eyes from Shalene, who was watching the muscles and shoulders of Foreman.

"Actualleee I think it's…" Foreman started to say but House interrupted him.

"No, it's me. 'Cuz this game is over." He snapped.

"Yoooou party pooooper!" Isabella called out from the table.

"Hey! How do you spell cuneiform?" Rog called out. "If you get it right you can stay. I think Foreman's gonna be done in a sec anyway." He finished with a laugh and Isabella laughed with him and laid her hand on his knee.

House hesitated a moment and said, "CUNEIFORM."

"Ding! Ding! That's right!" Shalene screamed.

Foreman turned around and yelled, "No! You spelleded it cunIEform!"

"Thad'll be _two_ articles, Shay!" Isabella told her friend.

"Can't I just take two shots?" She pleaded.

House got a huge smile on his face and eagerly walked into the room, sitting down on the other double bed.

"What'r'u doin', House?" Foreman asked as the door closed.

"Rog said I could stay. Pretend I'm not even here." He said.

Suddenly, Foreman turned a shade of green House had never seen before (other than his own face) and he ran into the bathroom, closing the door just in time for the sound of upchucking echo into the room. Rog and Isabella laughed as Shalene downed her two shots of Tequila.

"Guess you're short one person." House said. "I'll take over his letters. Who's turn is it?"

"It's yours." Rog told him.

House moved around the letters, looked at the board then gave a huge smile. He placed C-A-T-E-C-H-U-M-E-N for a total of 57 points.

"Ok, which one of you ladies gets to undress?" House asked excitedly.

"What kinda wurrrd is that? I'm not as educamated as you are." Shalene protested but then laughed, but only because she was the one with the lowest points now and that meant she'd have to take off one more piece, which would be her bra.

"It's a person who is being taught the principles of Christianity." House answered nonchalantly.

"I'd take his word for it, Shalene." Foreman said as he walked out of the bathroom and flopped on his stomach at the top of the bed Shalene was sitting on. He closed his eyes and was out in two seconds.

"Pffftt, lightweight." House said, looking at him. He turned and looked at Shalene. "I would take my word for it if you were me. Or do you want to challenge me?"

"No, no. I won't challenge you." She said, as she stood and ran to the bathroom squealing.

"You have to take it off here!" House called out.

"There's was no rule sayin' clothes had to be taken offfff in front of everybuddy." She called back.

"True." Rog said, ignoring the dirty look House shot his way.

"You have three hours clinic duty for that." He told Rog.

"Yeah, wha-eva." He shot back.

'_Why hasn't that man gotten into his thick skull I _don't do_ clinic duty!'_ Rog thought to himself but his attention was drawn to Shalene as she walked back into the room with bra in hand.

A few more rounds went by and everyone was equally drunk. Once the liquor was gone they had to resort to clothes-removing only. House had his shirt off but still wore his pants; Shalene was down to just her blouse and undies; Rog had one sock off and Isabella was _still_ completely dressed, minus a shoe.

House played the word G-L-I-S-S-A-N-D-O, and was quite pleased with himself, thinking one of the girls would challenge him. But it was Rog that challenged him.

"Oh, you don't know what you are getting into, Rog. It's a done deal, but it _is_ a word." Isabella told him.

"So, what is it?"

"Glissando is a rapid slide thru consecutive musical notes." She answered.

"Oh, I am impressed. You _are_ educamated!" House said as Rog wrote down the points then announced that Shalene was the 'bottom of the Tequila bottle'. Even House found that funny and laughed with everyone.

"Izzy, kill 'em wid da next wood or you in big trouble." Shalene said as she stood up and pulled off her panties.

House was almost drooling and Rog acted like his eyeballs had exploded in his head.

"Ok." She said as she laid out letters on the board to spell out S-E-B-O-R-R-H-E-A. "How's that? 61 points."

"How in the heck did you know that word?" House asked, rechecking her point count.

"IZZY! You got over 50! What are you _doing_?" Shalene said. "I've only got my top left!"

"Seborrhea, it's a disease of the sebaceous glands of the skin, right?" She said. "Sorry, Shay."

House just stared at her, not sure what to think.

"My daddy's the head surgeon at D.C. General in Washington. I always read his books, mainly when I was on restriction, which was _a lot_." Isabella told them.

Suddenly, House turned the same shade of green that Foreman showed earlier. His stomach turned. Wasn't Dr. Walter Cleaver-Jones the one giving the seminar?

Just then there was a loud knock on the door and an announcement, "Security!" Everyone looked at each other petrified, except House, who was quite amused.

The door opened and a uniformed-clad man was standing in front of another man, who House instantly recognized and cursed to himself.

It was Dr. Walter Cleaver-Jones.

"Isabella Margaret Cleaver-Jones! Get your clothes on _this instant_!" Dr. Walter screamed at his daughter, with his neck red with anger and his voice threatening. "You two were supposed to be back in the room an hour ago! Thank God the dealer knew who you left with."

Isabella rolled her eyes at Shalene, grabbed her clothes and ran to the bathroom while the others put on their clothes that had been the penalty over the Scrabble game.

"Dr. House! Isabella is 20! And Shalene is only 19! What in the hell were you thinking!"

"I was thinking that if I had a daughter their age at a casino I'd keep an awful close eye on them. Isn't 21 the legal age to gam…" House started to say but Cuddy interrupted him by barging into the room.

"House! What is going on here!" Cuddy demanded as she looked around the room, frowning at the empty Tequila bottle and Foreman still passed out on the bed, with no shirt.

"Your employees tried to rape these girls!" He shouted and pointing to the men.

Isabella walked back into the room and said, "Oh, Dad. They _were_ not. Chill."

"Don't talk to me like that, young lady! We'll talk about your gambling tomorrow but for now…" Dr. Walter said.

"Rest assured, Dr. Cleaver-Jones, I will take the appropriate action against these men." Cuddy told him as Dr. Walter grabbed his daughter, fussed at Shalene to leave with them and stormed out of the room, almost running into Wilson who was standing at the door watching the action.

"I am appalled at you! I would have hoped you knew better than do something like this!" Cuddy screamed at Rog, who was trying to defend himself but his mother wouldn't let him speak. "It's 1:15. We'll talk about this when we get back to the hospital." She said as she walked angrily out the door.

Early the next morning, Cameron was released from the hospital and Chase helped her back to their room at The Taj Mahal. He opened the door for her and let her walk in, where she stopped dead in her tracks and looked around the room.

Foreman was now lying vertically on the bed under the covers, Wilson was lying on top the covers, Rog was lying on the other bed and lying on the floor, covered with Rog's bed sheet with his right foot propped up on the end of one of the beds was House.

"What happened here?" Chase said as he walked past Cameron and picked up an empty Scotch bottle. "And why do I miss everything?" He whined, as he looked at the Scrabble board the guys had been playing after the others left.

There was every possible dirty word not printed in the dictionary, some that were but had double meanings, and one Chase made a mental note to ask Foreman what the word meant.

Cameron sat down slowly on the end of the bed next to House's foot and pulled it toward her, in the opposite direction of what his foot would naturally twist to. At first he didn't move but when it was at the point where it should have broken off naturally he finally grunted but didn't fully wake up.

Chase walked up to House, bent down right in House's face and yelled, "HOOKERS!"

House finally jerked away and said, "Where?" Then he opened his eyes, looked at Cameron and said, "Oh, there she

is!" Then burst out laughing.

Cameron narrowed her eyes at him and in one fast move jerked his foot away from her until he screamed and rolled himself over with his foot before it _did_ break.

"What the hell, woman!" He yelled. "Hey, no yelling."

"That was you! Don't mind him, Allison. He's finally on crack, I think." Chase said as he walked to Foreman and with his knee shook the mattress to wake him up.

"No." House corrected. "Half a bottle of Tequila and hiccup/burp a third of scotch. Just as good."

Wilson started to groan as he put his hand on his forehead, slowly sat up and looked at House and Rog, then Chase and Cameron. "Ok, either this is the worst nightmare I've ever had or I've actually gone to hell."

"You're in hell, Ace." House said as he tried to sit up, too. "Oooooohhhhh, somebody shoot me."

"It would be my pleasure. Now _out_!" Cameron demanded.

Later that morning in the Crystal Ballroom before the seminar was about to start, most of the gang was sitting at their table sipping coffee. Cuddy agreed to let Chase stay with Cameron to keep an eye on her and to make sure she'd eat something for breakfast and they'd meet up for lunch...if they ever made it that far.

Cuddy looked tired and a little grumpy, Wilson looked just plain grumpy, Foreman and Rog were amazingly upbeat, laughing and joking about the early morning manly 'Scrabble Words Your Mama Won't Let You Say' game.

"I didn't even know that was _possible_!" Rog said as Cuddy gave him a dirty look. "Oh, please. I'm not a child, Cuddy."

"After last night I'd think twice about that comment." She shot back as her eyes shifted to the door, and the others followed her gaze.

A man they recognized all too well walked into the room with two young ladies walking behind him, _very_ close to him. Dr. Walter looked around the room, saying 'hello' to those he knew and shaking hands with a smile on his face. But his smile disappeared when he spotted them looking at him. Cuddy smiled back and waved, hoping that was enough to qualm any tension he might still be feeling from their shenanigans with his daughter.

Isabella smiled and winked at Rog but Shalene ignored Foreman, which was fine with him, because now that he saw her in normal lighting, and not all the hype and excitement of being in the casino, he wondered what it was about her that attracted her to him in the first place.

"Foreman, did you notice the left side of Izzy's face being swollen last night?" Rog asked him sounding concerned.

Foreman took a closer look at her and agreed with him. "She does look paler than she did last night."

"Her father is a doctor. Don't be butting your heads in where they're not wanted. You all are still in trouble." Cuddy said. Rog agreed with her to himself and let it go. He knew his mother had a point. But still, she seemed to have gotten sickly awfully quick.

Rog's attention was drawn to House as he watched him limp to the table. Cuddy looked up at him as he pulled back the chair and was taken aback by his appearance. His pants were terribly wrinkled, his shirt had a small stain on it and even his jacket was wrinkled. He sat down and immediately reached for the coffee urn.

"House, the least you could have done was iron your clothes." Cuddy said a little tiffed.

"Dry cleaners don't open til 10:00." He said groggily. "That's why I'm wearing these shades, to hide the wrinkles. You should try it. Cheaper than Botox."

"Only if they were magic glasses to make _you_ disappear." She said with a sly grin.

"Oh! That was good, Cuddy!" Rog said with a roaring laugh, which drew Dr. Walter's attention to them.

After a few more minutes of greetings to others in the room, he whispered to the girls to sit at the table and that he'd be right back. He walked to the PPTH table, keeping his eyes glued on House the whole time.

"Good morning, Dr. Cleaver-Jones." Cuddy said, trying to sound bubbly but it came out 'but kissing-ly' sick.

"Pleasantries are not necessary this morning." Dr. Walter said. "I still intend to press full charges." He added sternly.

"Oh, and what would happen if I tell Donald Trump your little girl gambled and she's underage?" House asked.

Dr. Walter stood quietly for a moment until he felt someone rub up against his shoulder. He turned to look at Isabella, who was holding her head and sweating profusely, with Shalene holding her under her arm.

"I _said _stay at the ta…" Dr. Walter started to say.

"Daddy, I don't feel good." Isabella said, just as her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she fell backward. Luckily, Shalene caught her before she hit the ground.

"Is there a doctor in the house?" House screamed out, seeming to be the only one who got the joke, sick joke albeit, but funny to House none the same.

After the paramedics came and left to take Isabella to the hospital only then was it announced that the seminar was cancelled. There were a few 'ooohhhs' and '…be okay…' whispers throughout the room. But then there was a very loud 'Holy hooly booly!' cry that came from the PPTH table, and it seemed as if everyone in the whole room turned to stare at Dr. Gregory House's inappropriate outburst.

"What!" He asked, trying to sound innocent. "The caffeine from the coffee just hit my bloodstream."

"Let's get out of here." Rog said excitedly as he looked at his watch and stood up. "It's only 9:45. Let's hit the boardwalk first."

"Oh, thought you were going to say the casino. You have a problem." House said as he and the other stood as well.

"I don't have a problem." Rog disagreed as they walked out.

"Yes, you do have a problem." House egged him on.

"House! You're the problem. Now shut up." Wilson snapped then laughed as House headed off to the horseracing area and the others hit the casino.

Hours later at the hospital in the center of the A.C. strip, Dr. Walter was growing more frustrated and anxious at the doctors there for not being able to diagnose his daughter. It was confirmed Isabella had the mumps, as her parotid glands between her jaw and ear were very swollen. Her fever had spiked to 103.9, which was normal for someone with mumps. But the infectious-looking spots, they could not be explained. The spots covered the entire length of her body, mainly on her back, arms, torso and thighs.

He'd just gotten off the phone with Dr. Cuddy, who called to ask how Isabella was doing. At first he got snippy with her but then it dawned on him that maybe Cuddy was on to something, so he asked her what she thought it might be.

She told him she didn't really know, but that Dr. House was an excellent doctor and maybe he could help with the diagnosis. Dr. Walter practically screamed in her ear, ranting on that that madman wasn't going to touch his daughter then proceeded to hang up.

Back in the horseracing parlor, House was actually having a good run of wins. He was up $3,200, but made up his mind he wouldn't tell anyone because then he wouldn't be able to have Wilson by him lunch ever again. In the back of his mind he planned out what he was going to do with the money, then another even better idea would pop into his head, and just as quickly that, too, was be replaced by another. Oh, House just loved being a winner.

The last bet on this race before dinner was on Charity Case, whose odds were very low but he had a 'hunch' about the horse. His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest on the $800 bet. The starting bell went off and all of his attention went to the big screen t.v. showing the race.

The horses flew out of the opening gate, with Ling Prof a strong lead ahead of the others. Closely behind her was Ambassador Land with Revenge Agent a solid third. Behind him were Eye Team and CDN Fan. At the back of the pack was, of course, Charity Case. House sat back and sadly stared at the screen, mouthing, 'come on, come on!' to the horse, as if he was talking to it telepathically.

House heard someone clear their throat behind him as the horses pounded the track, turning the final corner and had half a lap left, but he ignored the obtrusive noise. Charity Case was slowly picking up speed and passed Eye Team and CDN Fan. House screamed, "YAH!" and he pounded his fist on the table.

"House, I think you might want to see…" Cuddy started to say but House interrupted him.

"Shhhhh." He simply said as he intently watched Charity Case overtake Ambassador Land and was now on the tail of Ling Prof. Now, normally second isn't a bad place to be, but when someone bets to place first, second just doesn't cut it.

"Come on, Charity!" House yelled as Cuddy stepped back and watched the race finish, with Charity Case winning by half of Ling Prof's body length. "GO! Yes!"

House clapped his hands, fisted his hand in the air and turned to high-five Cuddy, who would not have it, but did ask, "How much?"

"How much what? Oh, that I'm going to give you? Hmm, let's see, how much do I have to pay you for no more clinic hours for the rest of my life?" He asked with a grin.

"Hmm, let's see," Cuddy said, imitating House. "You cost us $1 mill with Vogler, and $50,000 for the lawsuit with the jazz musician. Oh, and plus all the mental anguish you have put me, your team and the hospital through, plus I want a new Lexus, I'd say no less than $3 mill." She said with a smirk.

"Well, with odds at 24 to 1, I just won $19,200! Not quite $3 mill. Sorry, boss." He said with a wink. "Why are you here, anyway?" House asked as he limped away to the Cashier to collect his winnings, with Cuddy following him.

"Oh. I think you should see Isabella…" Cuddy told him about the mumps but all the tests the doctors ran were either negative or inconclusive.

"She's got a rash from detergent or clothes or something. She'll be fine." He said as he handed the ticket to the cashier and anxiously waited for the crisp $100 bills.

"There's a spot on her back that has already become neucrotic. And despite the fact Dr. Cleaver-Jones hates your guts I think you should at least take a look at her." She said as she mentally crossed her fingers.

He stopped, looked at her intently and finally gave in. "Show me the way."

House and Cuddy walked into the hospital and were a little surprised at how crowded it was. When they found the room number they walked down the hallway toward her room and Dr. Walter was standing outside the door.

When he saw them walking toward him he screamed at House, "Don't you dare come near my daughter!"

As they got closer Cuddy told him, "I know you're upset about last night..."

"You damned right I am."

"You know, I don't have to be here." House told him sarcastically.  
"How's her condition?" Cuddy asked.

He gave House one more nasty look and said, "She's in a lot of pain. They've got Alcemdia cream on her back to stop the itching but it doesn't seem to be helping."

"May we see her?" Cuddy asked.

"I said..." Dr. Walter started to say but was interrupted by Shalene hollering for him from the room.

He turned and ran into to her room. "What is it, baby?" He asked.

"It...won...stop...itch..." She told him as she scratched the back of her shoulders and the front of her neck.

"Stop. You'll get them infected." Her dad told her.

Cuddy and House had snuck in and stood by the door. House was paying special attention to what she was saying to see if he could figure out what had caused them.

"Here's some more cream. It should help." Dr. Walter said hopefully.

"Oh, it's the cheater." Isabella said weakly as she saw House and Cuddy standing by the door. Dr. Walter whipped his head around and ordered House out.

"Dad...stop, will ya. Mabye he can..." She stopped talking because she was having trouble breathing.

Dr. Walter screamed for a nurse but one didn't come right away. Cuddy looked a little panicked then watched House walk toward the bed. Dr. Walter tried to push him away but House stood his ground.

"Do you want her to die?" House said.

He looked at House and he swore he could see his brain cells thinking about his question. Isabella started choking worse and her complexion turned a bright red.

"For God's sake, Dr. Cleaver! Don't let her die!" Shalene begged.

Dr. Walter looked at her then his daughter, whose eyes were now closed and it seemed she had completely stopped breathing. He slowly stepped out of House's way so he could get to Isabella. Cuddy handed him a scapel she'd found in one of the cabinets and pulled her head back to better cut cleanly at her airway. After a moment he'd cut a slit and placed a tube in her neck, and instantly there was air coming out of the tube. The nurses rushed in then and took over as the others stood back and watched them stabilize Isabella. Dr. Walter would not make eye contact with House, even after he'd just saved his daughter's life.

A few minutes went by and she was breathing on her own. House and Cuddy turned to leave, to go back and brainstorm with the other doctors.

"Thanks." Shalene said. "Nite. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

House stopped in his tracks, turned back around and looked at her. He walked back to Isabella, pulled the sheet down and looked at the back of her thighs. Then he quietly left the room with Cuddy behind him.

"House, what was that about?" Cuddy asked as they got in the elevator.

"I need to break and enter. Is that still illegal?"

"Yeah, but that's never stopped you before." She told him, and he smiled back.

"Okay, just checking." House said as the elevator door opened and they walked into the hallway for the exit.

Back in Chase and Cameron's room, Chase sat in the chair by the table that looked out over the ocean. The squacks of the seagulls and the roar of the waves crashing on the shore was calming to him, they always had been.

He heard Cameron moaning from the bed she'd been sleeping in all day, and he was grateful she was finally awake. He stood up and walked to her bed, sitting down next to her and ran his hand over cheek lovingly. Her eyes slowly opened and she smiled as she focused on his face.

"Hey." She said putting her hand on his bent knee.

"Hey." He said back. "How are you feeling?"

"Better, but I'm hungry." She said as she slowly sat up.

"Good. That's a good sign." He said as he leaned in and softly kissed her.

"So, tell me what your little scheme was."

"No, after we eat dinner. Foreman called. We're meeting them at 6."

"I'm not eating until you tell me what you were planning." She said firmly.

He sighed loudly and shook his head. "Cuddy helped me get a room at Cape May, booked a limo and we were going to spend the weekend there."

She looked up at him and gave him a long, hard hug. When she let go she kept her arms around his waist and asked, "What do you mean, 'were'?"

"After last night I figured it wouldn't be a good idea." He said, noticing her facial expression turned very disappointed. "Tell you what. It isn't going anywhere, right? We can go anytime. I promise you I will take you, but this time I won't keep it from you."

She smiled brightly at him and pulled him closer to her.

"Robert, I love you." She whispered into his ear.

"I love you, too, Allison."

House walked down the hall on the floor above his own at the Taj Mahal. He'd gotten an extra key from the desk, saying he'd lost the key when he was using the jon and the key fell in the toilet. She'd asked why he didn't reach in for it and he asked her if she knew how many germs were in a toilet. That shut her up and she quickly handed him a new key.

He put the key in the door and pushed down on the nob when the light turned green. He walked in and headed straight for the bed. He lifted the comforter, then the sheet and checked out the mattress. In the lining at the bottom were several dark spots, and upon closer inspection noticed about five bugs in the lining. He lifted the bed sheet further and looked at the mattress. There were little spots of blood, some were dark and a few were still bright red.

A smile crossed his face as he dialed a few numbers on his cell phone.

"Cuddy, call Wally Cleaver. She's had an allergic reaction to bed bugs." And without any further word from him he hung up the phone.


	20. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

Around 9:00 the next morning, Wilson was packing up his bag after he'd taken his shower. House was quietly snoring on his bed, his left foot hanging over touching the floor and his right sprawled out on the bed. He was holding a pillow in his arms on top of him, like it were a giant teddy bear.

House was jolted awake by Wilson ramming his knee into the mattress making it shake hard enough to wake him up.

"I don't wanna go to school." He whined as he rolled over and clutched the pillow tighter.

"Come on. A.J's gonna be here in an hour to take us back. Get your butt moving!"

"I've got the bike, remember?" House mumbled.

Wilson had indeed forgotten House rode his bike and felt defeated, but this time, only this time. "Fine. But check out is noon." He said as he walked out of the room.

House lay in bed a moment, listening to the silence that he enjoyed so much. He thought about doing some more gambling, but after the almost $20,000 he'd won the night before he didn't want to lose it all. Well, if he did, at least he would have gotten the rush from the unknown, which he thrived on.

He told himself just five more minutes then he'd get up and leave. He'd give the gang a head start and then catch up with them. He was sure he would. There was no doubt in his mind.

Wilson met up with Cuddy in the lobby, where the others joined them a few minutes later.

"You're not going to believe this! Rog got Isabella's phone number!" Foreman teased.

"Oh, it's really no big deal." Rog said.

"Guess you can tell House 'you the man' now." Chase teased. "He's gonna be so mad. Where is he, by the way? Getting some last horse racing bets in?"

"I left him sleeping." Wilson told them. "I feel sorry for his mom having to get him out of bed when he was a kid."

A.J. met them in the lobby and they headed out for the van and piled in. Chase and Cameron sat in the back so she could lay her head on Chase's lap; Rog and Foreman sat in front of them; Wilson sat in front of them and Cuddy sat next to her brother. As they drove West on Rte. 40, everyone filled A.J. in on the little adventures they'd had the past few days and everyone had some more laughs.

Except Cameron wasn't laughing because she was worried about what lay ahead of her involving her treatment for her anorexia. But she knew she had Chase with her and he'd help her. He never failed to before. Even her mom told her Chase was a good catch and not to let 'that one' go.

Shortly after the gang left the Taj Mahal, House put on his helmet, secured his overnight bag on the back of the

bike and headed home. He was grateful for the two hours he had on his bike before things settled down again at PPTH.

As Cameron lay in the back next to Chase she had just dozed off in her thoughts when suddenly she felt a hard impact on the left side of the van. She was thrown to the right side head over heels over Chase because she wasn't wearing her seat belt; she couldn't in the position she was laying. Her head hit the side and she could still feel her body being jerked about.

There were sounds of breaking glass, metal grinding against metal and moans and groans from those sitting in front of her then everything grew black…

House was beginning to get excited about seeing little Charnie again. He was looking forward to her 1st birthday, although he didn't want a big gathering, he knew he'd have to invite Wilson, Sarah and Charlie. Maybe he'd have it at their place because he didn't want his apartment to be messed up…

Just then his attention was drawn on a large van in the middle of an intersection with a yellow Hummer melded into the side of the van. He heard sirens from a distance so he didn't bother to stop. There was smoke coming from the engine of the Hummer and the driver wasn't moving. Metal shards and strips of vehicle were scattered across the road as people pulled over and got out of their vehicles to see what they could do to help.

As he drove by the van he looked at the driver's side. The man was slumped over the steering wheel, blood pouring from his ear and long black curly hair resting on right shoulder. But it couldn't have been the man's because he could clearly see he had short, dark brown hair.

As he rode in front of the van he saw several other bodies in the back, not moving. And he looked at the passenger more closely as he slowed down…it was Cuddy, her head on her brother's shoulder…and she looked…bad. As he stopped completely and got off the bike he raced to the van, the passenger side where Cuddy was slumped in the front seat. He reached for the door handle but it was too hot to the touch and he cursed out loud.

He looked in the back seat and Wilson was belted in with his chin slumped to his chest. He also was not moving.

"SOMEBODY HELP ME!" He screamed but no one came toward him.

He took a few steps to the back of the van and saw Rog and Foreman, whose body was twisted and mingled with metal. From where he stood he couldn't tell where his body started and where it ended with the metal. Then he saw Cameron, who had her eyes open and looked at him. She was lying on the floor, her arms and legs in very unnatural positions.

"Cameron! They're coming! Just hang on!" He screamed to her. She smiled at him then her eyes closed.

"MAN! Get away from there! It's gonna blow!" He heard someone holler at him but he wouldn't leave. There was no way he was going to leave them in there.

The sirens of the rescue vehicles grew louder as House tried harder to get in the van to get Cameron out. Suddenly he smelled gasoline but he didn't think twice about it. He tried pulling at the door handle harder and harder but it was no use.

"WILSON!"

"CUDDY!"

"CAMERON!"

"CHRIST, NOOOOOOOOOO!" House cried out, pounding on the glass and fighting back tears he felt come to his eyes.

"CAMERON! HOLD ON. THEY'RE HERE!"

"Greeggggg…" He heard from a distant, almost ghostly.

He felt a tug pull at his shoulder and forced him back away from the vehicle but he tried fighting them. Then he felt someone else pull at his left shoulder…

"NO! I WILL NOT LEAVE THEM IN THERE!"

"Greegggg…" The soft, eery voice was heard again.

Just then House saw a puddle of something shiny, and flames were now coming out of the Hummer, right in the middle of the van.

"The gas tank is leaking and it's gonna explode…now GET BACK!"

"NO! NOOOOOO!"

Flashes of the times he'd had with Wilson ran through his brain; pictures of Cameron when she dressed up for the Casino Night Charity Night; Chase and his father; Foreman when he almost died…Cuddy, Rog…he couldn't live without them. He hated living and working with them but he didn't know what he'd do without them.

"I'm sorry…so sorry…" House whimpered as he gave into the pulls from the two firemen who held him back and stood watching the flames get higher and spread to the puddle at the back of the van.

There was a little fizzle then a huge POP and the back of the van lifted about three feet off the road and…

He felt his brain being taken away from that horrible scene and suddenly felt the warm, naked body that lay next to him. The whole dream was so real, so vivid, that he wasn't even sure who it was that lay next to him.

"Wilson…Cameron…was still alive in the van and…" House started to mumble as he became more awake and aware of his surrounding.

"Gregggg! Wake up!" The voice said again.

His eyes flew open as he looked at the woman next to him and dropped his head back down on the pillow, closing his eyes trying to forget the nightmare.

"Oh, that was a bad one." He said as he wiped the sweat away from his forehead.

"Honey, I think you should change your pain medication." She said, rubbing her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"No, no. I'm just stressed from work. It's fine."

"No, it's not, Greg. If you don't do something about that I will."

"Oh, and what are you going to do, leave me?"

The woman sat up in bed, looked at him seriously and said, "I think it's time, Greg." She crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom, not closing the door behind her.

He felt bad what he was putting her through but he didn't want her to leave. He got up and walked to the bathroom door, leaning against the frame.

"I don't want you to go." He simply said.

She washed her hands, turned and looked at him, saying, "I'll leave this weekend." Then walked past him, grabbed a blanket and walked out into the living room. She wrapped the blanket around her and flopped down on the couch.

"Cameron, please, please don't do this……"

THE END

Hear No Evil was a continuation from another story. That story is entitled Epilogue to Hear No Evil, which will be posted soon.

The continuation of this story, Hear No Evil, will be continued and is entitled Speak No Evil.

Please let me know if I've confused anyone else. Sorry about that, folks.

4


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